Cheeks Red Like Roses
by hdgcat
Summary: A/H,OOC/Stranded at an airport 2 days before Christmas,Eric runs into an old flame and reconnects in an unexpected way.rated M for sexual content
1. Chapter 1

_A/N : As always Charlaine Harris owns everything, I own nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch. _

_This is an A/H story with OOC elements. If you like tender Eric you'll probably like it. If you like Bill when he's a little bit bad, you'll probably like it. If you like a little Kink with your coffee you're definitely going to like it! _

_CONFESSION: This was a Vampwich story I modified so I could enter the Naughty/Nice Contest. Unfortunately, after pm'ing the contest people, I realized I was too close to the edge of the rules and decided not to enter. So this story will seem like a weird hybrid between Vampwich and E/S. _

_BETA shout out: My humble thanks go to Latbfan for beta'ing this for me even after I decided to not enter the contest. I had no idea I was so bad with commas, HONEST!_

_Story is Rated M for mature sexual content including some BDSM elements, so you've been warned. _

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CHAPTER 1

"Oh my stars! If it isn't Eric Northman"!

Eric turned trying to find the source of the woman's voice. Being 6'5" had its advantages when standing in the middle of a crowded airport. And then he saw her.

"Sookie Compton"? He asked, although he was already sure from one glance at the blond woman needling her way through the crowd. Raising his arms in welcome, he couldn't help but laugh when he felt her slender arms slide around his torso. He wrapped his long arms around her and squeezed tight.

"Omph! Eric, you're going to squeeze the life out of me. I'm an old lady now, take it easy", she exclaimed.

He let her go just enough to stare into those familiar blue eyes that he hadn't seen in so many years. "Don't be absurd. You're a child. Look at you, you havn't changed a bit"!

"You need glasses Northman" she joked, shaking her head.

"I've got them right here" he smiled, holding up his reading glasses from their cord around his neck.

"Join the club" She smiled back, and held up her own reading glasses dangling from a colorful beaded necklace. "Hey, have you got a minute? I'd love to hear what's going on with you".

Eric looked at the huge line he was standing in and the poor airline clerk behind the desk patiently explaining luggage procedures to a very annoyed red faced man. It was the 23rd of December and he had known it would be bad flying this time of year, but hadn't he anticipated how bad with all the sudden storms sweeping across the Midwest and Northeastern US. This was causing the usual "domino effect" on every other airport in the country. Talking to an old friend beat being in this unmoving line. He stepped out, pulling his luggage behind him and followed Sookie to a bench near the windows overlooking takeoffs.

He looked at her more closely as they sat down. She seemed trim, even in her winter coat and her hair was the same blond, although it was shorter than when they'd been in college. Smile lines etched her lightly tanned face around her mouth and eyes as she took his hand in hers. Her happiness at seeing him energized him in a way he hadn't experienced in months.

"What are you doing here Eric? Sookie asked as she brushed her hair out of her face. "Last I heard, you were living in Chicago right? Were you down here on business"?

"Yes, I was down here finalizing some paperwork for some clients and thought I'd be smart and try to fly thru Alexandria instead of New Orleans. It's not working out the way I'd hoped" he replied ruefully. "I'm actually trying to fly into Boston. My daughter Pam goes to school near there."

"Oh, where does she go to school"?

"Harvard" he replied, trying very hard not to sound smug. It was so difficult not being a stuck up Dad about it. But he had to write those enormous checks every semester, he had a right to be a little proud dammit.

"Oh my, you must be so proud of her"

"I am. How is your daughter Adele doing"?

"This is such a coincidence! Adele is in college in Massachusetts too".

"Which school"?

"MIT" she said, looking a tad smug herself.

"Well, I guess we managed to raise a couple smart kids" He laughed.

"Yes, we did, although, I think my husband's DNA can take a lot of the credit for Adele being as smart as she is. I'm not exactly in that brain range". Sookie laughed.

He was about to protest that assessment, when a big commotion up at the ticket desks drew his attention and an announcement started.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I PLEASE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, DUE TO THE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS BEING EXPERIENCED IN THE MIDWEST AND NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. THE FAA HAS GROUNDED AIR TRAFFIC IN THOSE AREAS TIL IT PASSES. PLEASE SEE YOUR RESPECTIVE TICKET AGENTS REGARDING RESCHEDULING YOUR FLIGHTS AND CONNECTIONS. PLEASE SEE THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE BOARDS FOR AFFECTED FLIGHTS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE"

"Well, shit" Eric blurted. He looked at the board above his airline's desks and sure enough "delayed" had been replaced by "suspended" next to every flight number.

"I'm so sorry". Sookie said, squeezing his hand. "You know how these storms are though. It'll blow over and once they de-ice everything, it'll be fine".

"I guess I better start looking for a hotel before they all book up" Eric sighed.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that! My car is parked here and you can stay at our house. We live outside Shreveport now. We have plenty of room. You'll be able to check the internet and reschedule your flight as soon as they start moving again".

"I can't do that Sookie. Its Christmas, I'm sure you've got plans". Eric didn't want to put anyone out even though he dreaded the thought of being in some sterile hotel room with Christmas looming.

"Adele wasn't able to come home for Christmas unfortunately, so it's just me and the hubby this year" she said with a forced cheerfulness "Trust me, Eric we'd love to have you. Please, I can't bear the thought of you all alone in a hotel. PLEASE"? She squeezed his hand really hard and gazed up at him with big puppy eyes, which made him laugh out loud again.

"Alright, if you're sure I won't be putting you out"?

"Not at all, let's go"! She bounded up with Eric hustling to keep up with her. He hadn't been flattering her when he said she hadn't changed. Sookie was still the same energetic, warm, full of life woman he'd known back in college. They had dated for several months, but stayed friends even after breaking up. It had crossed his mind from time to time, the path not taken, but he had made his choice and had never been sorry.

Over the years, they had lost touch. Moving across the country and living different lives, they'd lost contact as they went their separate ways.

Running into her here and now was a godsend. Otherwise, he'd be fighting hundreds of grounded passengers trying to find a hotel room and praying he wouldn't have to sleep on the carpet at the airport waiting for the planes to start flying again.

They made their way through the dark parking garage, Sookie counting aloud, obviously trying to remember where she parked. Eric gazed at her with bemusement. He had never met someone who "lost" their car in parking lots and garages more than Sookie.

"AH! Here it is." She gestured with a flourish and opened the trunk with a quick punch on her keyring.

He settled in with a satisfied sigh, pushing the passenger seat back for his long legs as Sookie backed out of her space and they were on their way.

"Is Aude already in Cambridge with Pam or is she going later? You should probably call her and let her know where you are. I'm sure she's worried". Sookie frowned as she eyed the airport exit signs, trying to make sure she took the right one.

Eric hesitated. There just was no easy way to say it. "Aude passed away in February Sookie. She had breast cancer".

"OH! Eric, I'm so sorry, I had no idea, truly". Sookie looked at him, appearing upset at not having asked about this earlier. Eric just wanted her to watch the road.

"It's alright , there would have been no way for you to know. I'm doing okay now". Eric was proud of his voice being so steady. It had taken months for him to be able to talk about it without feeling like he was going to have a breakdown.

"So this is your first Christmas without her".

"Yes".

"Well, then I'm extra glad I ran into you and saved you from airport purgatory" She said, obviously trying to create a lighter mood.

"I'll call Pam once we get to your house and check the airline's website and the weather up North, so I'll have a better idea what to tell her".

She nodded. "That sounds like a plan".

They rode in silence for a bit, the radio piping in holiday music interspersed with weather warnings and last minute Christmas sale ads. It was amazing to Eric how comfortable he could feel with someone he hadn't seen in over two decades. He had been taking pre-law and Sookie was a psychology major when they were dating. Once they broke up, Eric had been shocked when she had taken up with Bill who was a couple years older and majoring in computer engineering. Bill had seemed like a decent enough guy and he treated Sookie with deference and respect. Sookie had actually been pleased when Eric and Bill had gotten along well enough for them to all go out together and there had been some really good times. Bill was a reserved guy with a dry sense of humor, but he just seemed so boring. Eric had never understood how Bill could make someone as vibrant as Sookie happy. He had actually heard at one point that they had separated, but if that was true, than they seemed to have worked things out.

Eric realized he hadn't inquired about Bill. "So, how is that husband of yours doing? Is he still changing the world with his software company"?

Eric saw Sookie's hands clench the steering wheel.

"Bill, well I don't know if you've heard. Well of course you havn't" she said. "He has Parkinson's Disease. He's was diagnosed with it several years ago, so it's been kind of rough going here lately". She smiled.

Eric knew from personal experience how NOT to respond from having dealt with exactly this type of thing when his wife had been ill. "I'm very sorry Sookie. How is he doing? Is he able to get around? Is he still working? "

"He had to stop working full time and took an early retirement, but he still does some consulting work. He is still able to walk, but he's shaky and falls sometimes. A physical therapist comes in a few times a week to work with him to try and keep as much mobility as long as possible, you know. He's on medication that seems to help most of the time."

"Of course" Eric knew that you don't appreciate having good health until it's gone. Once his wife had gotten ill, their life had been an endless cycle of tests and more tests, surgeries, medication, and therapies. It was endless until the end came.

"Fortunately, his speech hasn't been affected much yet and he shakes a bit, his hands tremble, that sort of thing, but we've adjusted. That's why we're living in Shreveport now. We had a house built there. We're closer to the hospitals and there are a couple of clinics". She shrugged a little. "Sometimes you just have to roll with it, you know"?

"Well that's good" Eric tried to sound upbeat. "How are you doing? You were doing child counseling right"?

"Yes, I was mostly working with abused children. But it just became too hard with worrying about Bill being alone all day or hiring a full time aide…well….it just seemed like the better option that I stay home". She didn't sound bitter or angry, simply resigned. This was the hand life had dealt her and she was making the best of it.

When his wife had first been diagnosed with cancer, he had been upbeat and presented a "can do" attitude at all times, wanting to be as supportive as possible for her. There were so many treatments after all and women survived breast cancer all the time. It had been caught at an earlier stage and she was strong. She would be fine he told himself repeatedly. He wouldn't allow himself to accept that she might be one of those "statistics" that the CDC kept track of every year.

He told himself he was being strong for her. Later he realized he had only been denying the reality because he was too weak to accept it.

"Here we are!" Sookie's bright voice jolted him out of his revere. They were in a semi-rural area that seemed to have the typical developments encroaching on farmland that was so common everywhere these days. They drove along the darkening road into a wooded area where the houses were separated from their neighbors by politely distanced trees. Instead of pulling up to one of the shouting Mcmansions, Sookie drove up to a one story house with an angular silhouette.

It was a little hard to see with so little light, but Eric could clearly make out the assymetrical roofline. The house had sharp lines and it sat cozily in its lot like the trees were hugging it. He caught a shimmer on the roof.

"Do you have solar panels"? He asked.

"Oh yes, Bill insisted that if we were going to build a house it was going to be "done right"". she said, making air quotes with her voice. "So it has geo-thermal, solar panels, solar water heater. You should see our utility bill".

"I would think with all that, you wouldn't even have a utility bill".

Sookie laughed heartily at that as they pulled into the garage. "You would think so, and with all the credits we earn from producing more electricity than we use, that would be the assumption wouldn't it? But they have this thing called "administrative fees". It's four dollars and eighty-eight cents a month and when Bill saw that he hit the roof!" she laughed again.

"Let me guess, being the stubborn bastard he is, he tried to dispute it didn't he"?

"Oh yeah"

"And he was told there was nothing he could do about it, that he had to pay it"?

"Oh yeah, it's like you were there, Eric"!

"I'm a lawyer. I know how these things work"

"Anyway, you should hear him bitch when he has to write that check" Sookie kept giggling. It was great hearing her laugh. As he pulled his suitcase out of the trunk it occurred to him he never even asked her why she was at the airport to begin with.

"I forgot to ask you why you were at the airport. Were you dropping someone off?"

"No, I was coming back from a three day spa in Florida"

"You didn't have any luggage"

"They pretty much supply everything and you live in a robe the whole time, or loose yoga outfits, or you're naked" She giggled again " Between the mud baths, the massages, and all that it was tough pulling on these clothes again" Eric shunted aside those mental images as she gestured towards her clothing.

"It's good you got to relax like that"

"Bill made me go" Eric wondered at her tone of voice as they went into the house.

"Hello! I'm home!"

"Well, the lady of the house has returned" came Bill's cool, smooth voice from the next room".

They hung up their coats in the mud room and entered a kitchen that opened into a great room with a dining area and living room. As they came around the corner Sookie jumped ahead of Eric and cried out "I found him at the airport. Can I keep him, pretty please?"

Eric laughed again as he followed her and saw Bill for the first time in over twenty years. His dark brown hair had gone to salt and pepper, there were lines around his dark eyes, and he didn't look as muscular as in his youth, but it was still the same Bill. He was also in a wheelchair which surprised Eric, but he was determined to be as normal about all this as possible.

As Sookie gave him a big hug and a kiss, Bill gave Eric a stunned expression and exclaimed "Well, I'll be damned if it isn't Eric Northman". He gave Sookie a quick kiss and added "You may keep him my darling as long as he's housetrained"

"I've been in your house for ten seconds and you're insulting me already. Thanks Compton" Eric laughed as he stepped forward and they shook hands. Sookie jumped in explaining what had happened at the airport. "So I hope I won't be an imposition. It's no big deal to check into a hotel", Eric added when she'd finished.

"Nonsense, we have plenty of room. It'll be great having you here" Bill said firmly.

"If we can share an upper bunk while drunk, then I guess we'll be alright". Eric smirked.

"Crap, I can't believe you remember that. It's a good thing they didn't have photo cell phones back then". Bill said, covering his face with his hand.

"I wholeheartedly agree with you there". Eric snickered.

"What's this? I don't remember hearing about this"? Sookie raised an eyebrow at both men. "Come on, someone give me the goods on this story!"

Just then, a tall, young man came down the hallway from the bedroom area, carrying an overnight bag. He had an olive complexion, wearing a sweater and jeans, but what caught Eric's attention was his hair. He had the biggest, shiniest, Elvis hair Eric had seen outside Vegas. It was really hard not to stare.

"I'll be going now Mr. Bill. I have a bit of a drive to my mother's house". He said.

"Thanks Bubba, you have a happy holiday" Bill said.

"Welcome back Ms. Sookie, I hope you had a good time at the spa". Bubba added.

"Oh yes, I did. Thanks Bubba and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas".

"Well thank you, thank you very much" He nodded at Eric and with that he was out the door. Elvis had left the building.

There was a couple seconds of silence while Eric digested this.

Eric turned and looked at Bill. "Okay, you know I need an explanation of THAT".

Bill laughed as Sookie went into the kitchen "The first time he came over here for my physical therapy, I told Sookie there was no way in hell I was going to let some guy with an Elvis fixation touch me. He's turned out to be a great therapist, even though he tortures me" He raised his voice a little as he turned towards the kitchen "Did you hear that my supposedly dear wife? He tortures me!"

"Whatever", Sookie replied with absolutely no concern whatsoever.

"Anyway, he's a nice guy, so when Sookie went to the spa, he came to stay with me". Bill suddenly shook his head. "Eric, I'm being a horrible host, please come sit down" Bill wheeled himself into the living room, Eric following. Sookie was whirling around the kitchen opening and closing cabinets, making a tremendous clatter. Removing a bag from the freezer, she put her glasses on to read the back of the package.

"What would you like to drink"? Bill asked, "I have some scotch or would you prefer wine?"

"I'd like some wine with dinner if that's alright. I'll just have a little scotch right now" Eric replied. He watched Bill wheel over to the buffet which doubled as a bar and pour him a glass from the heavy decanter. Eric almost jumped out of his seat a couple times to assist as he watched Bill pour the amber liquid into the glass with shaky hands. When Bill turned around, he settled back and accepted the drink with his thanks.

Eric took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie as he relaxed against the modern leather sectional. He sipped his drink as he looked around the room. The layout was pretty much as expected given the exterior. It had a modern open floor plan with sharp lines and the living room's ceiling vaulted sharply on one side where the Christmas tree stood proudly.

The décor would be referred to as "eclectic" and here's where Sookie's influence was all over the place. While the sectional and chairs had sleek relaxed lines and the entertainment center was exactly what he'd expect from Bill, the soft elements of the room were completely different. Warm colors on the walls, carpeting, and pillows, combined with numerous family pictures on a shelving unit and on the hallway wall kept the room from feeling cold. There were paintings in various styles on the walls, some with a softer Impressionistic influence while others had passionate dramatic compositions.

Not all the furniture was modern. The dining room set, buffet and china cabinet were definitely traditional and fairly old. They stood their ground among their modern counter parts with no apologies.

There was an ugly crazy quilt draped across the furniture Eric was sitting on that looked suspiciously like the one Sookie had on her bed in college. A couple knitted afghan throws over the chairs would probably have sent an interior designer running, but Eric thought it was perfect.

Eric stretched his legs out and took another sip of his drink. Bill had been sitting quietly observing him while he perused the room.

"You have a lovely home Bill. It looks like you and Sookie"

"Thank you, it'll never be Bon Temps of course, but it'll do" Bill said. How's your daughter Pam doing?"

"Oh damn, I forgot to call her. I'm sorry Bill. Could you excuse me for a minute?"

"Of course" he replied.

Eric went down the hallway a bit and called Pam and informed her of what was going on and where he was. She had been watching the weather channel from a friend's house and gave him an update on the conditions up north. It wasn't good.

"I think you may be stuck with me a bit longer than expected" Eric said as he came back into the living room. He told Bill what Pam had said. Bill's expression was much more serious than when he had left the room.

" Sookie just told me about Aude. I'm so sorry". Bill said earnestly. "How are you and Pam doing?"

"We're doing well enough, considering everything. The first few months were just …"Eric didn't know what to say "They were really hard".

Bill nodded. "Aude was an amazing woman. I'm sure everyone who knew her misses her".

"Yes"

"If you need anything, you let us know"

"Thanks Bill, I'll keep that in mind"

"Dinner in five minutes" Sookie announced from the kitchen. They could hear a "ding" then she added "Dinner in three minutes".

Bill and Eric sat down, getting the plates and silverware sorted out. Sookie came around carrying a platter and a covered serving dish and put them on the table. Eric noticed her figure was still curvy as ever and she'd retained her "hourglass" that many women lose in middle age. Her hourglass was a little fuller than it had been when they were younger, but then that was true for most people, he thought ruefully as he patted his no longer flat stomach.

He forgot that as he dug into the food. It was a simple meal of crab cakes, mixed vegetables, corn bread muffins and little red potatoes. When his wife was well, they had eaten pretty healthy. The last couple years of her illness, Eric had been fending for himself and was usually too busy to cook. So dinner typically consisted of stopping at a drive thru, hence the extra weight around his middle.

The conversation was comfortable and relaxed. They talked about the crazy weather, their kids, college tuitions, Bill's company, Eric's cases, and where so and so was now. It was nice to be able to talk about Aude with people who had known her, but had not seen the devastation of her final months. They had happy memories of her and Eric felt himself become more at ease as they laughed about stupid things they did in college. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way.

Once the dishes were cleared away, they made their way back into the living room to relax, but Sookie begged off.

"I'm tired. It's been a long day, so I think I'll leave you two boys alone and go to bed early".

"Sweetheart, I had the hot tub heated up and ready to go. Are you sure?" Bill asked with a little pout.

"It's very tempting, but right now I think I'd drift under and drown" Sookie laughed. "Good night gentlemen. I'll see you in the morning". She went to Bill and hugged him, murmuring something in his ear that made him smile. Then to Eric's surprise she came over and gave him a hug and kiss goodnight too.

"Be good" She ordered, as she wagged her finger at him.

"Me?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah, YOU" she smiled and drifted down the hallway to the master bedroom.

Bill gave Eric a look, "Come on Eric, I've got whiskey and cigars and a chess board all set up to beat you"

Eric chortled at that "You've gone senile Compton, since you've apparently forgotten I can whip your ass any day in chess"

"Prove it" Bill smirked.

"Isn't it cold out there?"

"It's enclosed, so it's not as bad as you think. And once you get in, you're fine"

"Okay, let's do it"

"In the hall bathroom there are two robes hanging on the back of the door. Could you please get those so we'll have something to wear when we get out?"

Eric went and got the needed items, than they made their way to the back patio door. He shrugged off his modesty, reminding himself he and Bill had shared locker room showers when they were younger. And Sookie was probably asleep already. They undressed and went up the two steps to the tub's edge. A little space heater was blasting away valiantly, but wasn't up to heating the entire patio area. Bill was standing now, but his movements were slow and a little jerky. Eric climbed in first, shivering since he wasn't submerged yet and helped Bill swing his legs around to get in. They settled into the hot, frothy water.

"So, where are these cigars and this whiskey you were talking about?" Eric asked.

Bill pointed to the opposite ledge, where a cigar box, glasses, and a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel perched primly. Since Eric was sitting next to all this he poured the drinks this time and lit his and Bill's cigars.

This was heavenly. The whiskey was a little smoky, and much smoother than regular Jack Daniels. The cigar's slightly spicy scent permeated the tub area. Eric leaned back, shutting his eyes peacefully as the water massaged his body.

"Don't slip under and drown Northman. I won't be rescuing you"

Eric laughed again, choking a little on his drink. He had laughed more in the past three hours than he had in the past three months. Until this moment, he hadn't realized how isolated he'd been feeling since Aude's death. And it wasn't that people weren't kind, they were, just too kind. Their behavior constantly reminding him that he had lost a companion that he thought would be with him for another twenty plus years at least. He always assumed Aude would outlive him. Women were supposed to outlive their husbands and survive the pain of loss.

I'm a coward Eric thought.

"Eric?"

"Mmm?"

"May I ask you a personal question"? Eric opened his eyes and looked at Bill thru the steam and the cigar smoke. Bill's head was cocked to one side with a calculating expression. Eric nodded for him to continue.

"How long has it been since you've been with a woman"?

Well, that was pretty personal.

Eric sat and gaped at Bill for a second. "I don't feel comfortable discussing this subject"

"I understand. Do you want to play chess now?" Bill asked, his expression smoothing out.

This was why Eric had never considered Bill a best friend. There was an inscrutable side to him that made Eric nervous. And he had been a lawyer long enough to know that Bill's question wasn't what Bill really wanted to know. It was a leading question that was going to lead somewhere else. Eric disliked beating around the bush. Aude had been the same way. It was why he had married her and why he refused more clients than he took on.

"What do you really want to know"? Eric asked sternly "I can't imagine why you would want to know something like this, unless you're trying to set me up with someone. Or are you having a mid life crisis and decided that you're gay?" Eric looked around him and wondered if the tub, cigars, and whiskey were some sort of seductive entrapment.

"No, I'm not gay" Bill said with a small smile.

"Then what? Say what you want to say Bill"

Bill's smile got bigger. "I think I've missed you Eric. I always know where I stand with you. And I'm going to answer your question if you promise to hear me out without getting angry"

"Go ahead" Eric took a draw off his cigar.

Bill took a deep breath. "My illness has created an extra burden for Sookie. She would deny it, but it's true. She's had to leave a job she loved doing to help me so I can continue consulting for the software company I founded. She's been very involved with my treatments and the doctor's appointments. I'm sure you know what it's like?"

Eric nodded silently. He had been forced to take a leave of absence the final 8 months of Aude's illness, so he could take care of her and get her to treatments. The cancer took over both their lives.

"The only way I could get her to go to that spa in Florida was by hiring Bubba to come stay with me. She needed the time off and the rest. It was hard. You know how stubborn she can be"

Eric nodded again, this time more vigorously. One of the reasons he and Sookie had broken up was their constant head butting over just about everything. Their temperaments were too much alike, although they had a lot of fun too.

"This disease it affects every part of your life" Bill slowed down, speaking more deliberately "And our sex life is no exception. We still have sex and enjoy each other, but there are activities that we used to do that I am no longer physically able to do safely".

Eric now had a sneaking feeling where this was leading and he didn't like it.

"Some years back we went thru a bad spell and separated for a while. We got back together and with counseling were able to rebuild. We had gotten so distracted with work and Adele that we weren't taking enough time for each other, so we refocused back on our marriage and each other. The counselor suggested making dates, going places together like we were dating and it worked" And here Bill smiled softly, flicking his gaze into the swirling water "It worked very well. We started trying new things inside and outside the bedroom"

Bill looked at Eric carefully trying to read how he was taking all this. Eric had put his courtroom face on and wasn't giving him any tells (as they say in poker). After taking a really deep breath, Bill continued "We like to play games sometimes. Dominate/submissive games that often involve one person being tied down and controlled by the other. And while it's great when Sookie dominates me, I feel very badly that I can't return the favor anymore. It's just too dangerous with my physical limitations. If she gets in trouble or something happens, I may not be able to get her loose in time. And I don't have the control anymore to apply certain stimulations that we both enjoy"

"I don't know what you want me to say to all this. What are you saying exactly"? Eric asked while polishing off his drink. "Are you asking me to have sex with Sookie?"

"Do you want to have sex with my wife"? Bill raised his eyebrows a little.

TBC

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_A/N So, are you intrigued? The next chapter is done, its just still being beta'd and tweaked. _

_ The more interest there is the faster it'll pop up. _


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N As usual Charlaine Harris owns everything, I own nothing, nada,zero, zip, zilch._

_For those of you who've been asking, I'll be getting back to my other continuing stories Nesting Instincts and Bill and Eric's Excellent Adventure this weekend. I should be pretty much done with this one by then. I was working pretty hard on this story for the past two weeks because of thinking I was going to enter it in the contest. _

_Once again I'd like to thank Latbfan for beta'ing this story for me. One of these days I'll be able to remember when to use "than" and "then" , I swear. _

_Now let's see what Eric has to say about Bill's proposal. _

* * *

"Do you want to have sex with my wife"? Bill raised his eyebrows a little.

* * *

CHAPTER 2

"Bill, you're unbelievable. I can't comprehend how you would hand your wife over to someone like a party favor. And I really don't get you wanting me to what? Beat Sookie? Lead her around on a dog leash? Whip her until she cries for mercy? I mean…what the fuck is wrong with you?" Eric's voice got a little louder and sharper as he spoke. He could feel his face flushing either from the whiskey or the conversation. He was disturbed by the things Bill had said and by what it meant for Sookie.

It didn't help that even after twenty-five years, his memories of Sookie's body and her touch were painfully clear. He was even more disturbed by what that said about him.

Bills' mouth set in a grim line which usually happened when he was about to lose his temper. Eric had only seen it happen once. He was almost hoping it would happen now.

"Number one Eric, Sookie and I are not swingers. My wife is not a whore, nor do I treat her like one. We don't play games with other people, go to parties or anything like that. We're not very extreme and we like our private life to be private. Number two, if it were anyone else, I would never bring this up. I don't want strange men touching my Sookie and I don't want her in situations that would make her uncomfortable. I would be there the entire time to direct you on what to do and when, so that Sookie will be perfectly safe and both of you will be comfortable" Bill spoke steadily, measuring each word, "Sookie has fond memories of when you two dated. You're a good guy. She says so and I know so. I wouldn't allow anyone less to touch her"

Eric could feel himself calming a little as Bill spoke and he nodded for Bill to keep going. Bill's left arm was jerking a bit, but Eric ignored it.

"The bottom line Eric is that if this makes you uncomfortable then we'll just forget about it. I'm sorry I brought it up. I'm trying to do something nice for Sookie and I figured you hadn't started dating yet"

"How did you know that"? Eric wanted to know.

"Because I know you, and I remember how you and Aude were together. I'm no expert, but dating again after your wife dying has to be so hard. I can't even imagine. I know you and Sookie fooled around some in college and this could be enjoyable for both of you"

"And what do you get out of it? Why would you want me touching Sookie, playing games, whatever it is you guys do"?

"It would be pleasurable for me too. I want to pleasure her and make her happy. I love my wife unconditionally Eric. I'd do anything for her. I can no longer do some of the things she likes, so I need a surrogate to do it for me. I'd like that man to be you because I know you'd treat her with respect, follow my instructions, and you have a previous relationship. If this is too weird for you, I'll understand. I just hope you won't be angry with me for asking" Bill fell silent at this point, tapping the excessive ash from his cigar since he'd been talking so long.

Eric felt like he'd been hit by a train, trying to digest everything that Bill had said.

Then he realized something Bill hadn't said.

"Does Sookie know about you asking me this"?

"No, I thought I'd ask you first to see if you were amiable to the idea, then discuss it with her"

"Don't you think she'll be angry and embarrassed"?

"Maybe, but it'll be on me, not you, so don't worry about that"

"It'll be on me if she kills your stupid ass, and I have to help clean up the body. Look Bill, this is just too weird. I can't imagine Sookie agreeing and I just can't see myself having sex with someone else's wife"

"It wouldn't have to be sex specifically. If we just play a game, you could just help with that. But it sounds like you're just not comfortable with this. That's fine Eric. Like I said, please don't hold it against me that I'm trying to give Sookie a fun time" Bill settled back in the tub, his shaking had become more pronounced which concerned Eric. "I think I'd better go to bed, I'm a bit tired. We'll play chess tomorrow, if you're still speaking to me"

Eric didn't answer. He silently helped Bill stand up and out of the tub. Bill pulled on a robe and shuffled slowly back into the house pushing his wheelchair.

Trying to make sense out of the swirls of steam rising from the water, Eric pondered what Bill had said. Doing something like that, sex with someone who was married was just wrong. It was just plain wrong. And yet why could he picture it so easily in his mind? His body wasn't helping with the internal argument. Mr. Happy had been on a restricted diet for so long and had resigned himself to meager sustenance. Eric could practically hear the screaming from under the hot water "What the fuck is wrong with YOU?"

It was time to sleep. When you can hear your penis yelling at you, it is definitely time to sleep. Eric turned off the tub, covered it, turned off the tree's lights, and went down the hall to the guest bedroom.

There were more photos on the guestroom wall. A picture of the three of them and Aude when they were in college was on the dresser. He remembered the day it was taken. They had all gone to an amusement park for the day. Bill andAude had been buying postcards in the gift shop while Eric and Sookie sat waiting outside for them.

Sookie had looked at him and said "You're going to marry her you know".

Eric had been shocked "We've only been on four dates! We havn't even, you know, DONE anything yet. How can you say that?"

Sookie smiled up at him from behind her sunglasses "Eric, I will always love you and I will always be your friend, but you and I would have made each other nuts. Aude makes you strong"

And there it was. When Sookie said it so matter of factly, like saying that "the sky is blue", Eric's future seemed clearer and he knew she was right. Eric studied the picture for a long time before going to sleep.

* * *

Sleep did not come easily even though the room and bed were comfortable. He managed to get some solid hours then was awoken by yelling. It was Sookie's voice of course since Eric didn't recall ever having heard Bill yell in the entire time he'd known him. Sitting quietly he tried to make out what she was saying, but the quality construction of the house and walls was making it impossible. It wasn't hard to figure out what the yelling was about.

Did Bill have a death wish? Eric hoped Sookie still didn't own that shotgun her crazy redneck brother had brought her when she lived off campus her senior year.

He got dressed and went into the kitchen. Sookie had already set the coffeemaker, so he turned it on and went to the patio windows. A light dusting of snow and a little ice maybe had turned the surrounding woods into a wonderland. The morning sun shining on it practically drilled through his eyes.

A throat cleared behind him, so he turned around. Bill was standing carefully, with his hands folded in front of him, "I have been informed, and I quote 'that I am an unfeeling tactless toad', and that I must immediately apologize" Bill formally declared.

It was hard not to laugh at Sookie's little Bill descriptor, so Eric settled for biting his inside lip. "You're forgiven Bill, even though I must agree with your wife's assessment"

Bill heaved a relieved sigh " I have to go check some emails, so I'll be in my office" He seemed to be walking a little better, maybe from getting a good night's sleep.

Pouring a cup of coffee, Eric had a good chuckle over Sookie's "tactless toad" observation. She had always been so spirited, and she was even more so when she was ticked off.

"Is something funny"? Sookie asked.

Eric twisted to see Sookie in a pink t-shirt, flannel pajama pants with pink flying pigs, and the final touch of pink pig slippers. "Yes, your husband" he observed.

"Eric I'm so sorry, sometimes Bill's tact is just so…so…" Sookie's hands fluttered in the air searching for the word.

"Nonexistent"? He suggested.

"That's putting it mildly. I feel terrible that he made you uncomfortable in our home. That's breaking Southern Hospitality Rule number ONE". She shook her head as she poured her own coffee and mixed in a little milk with sugar.

"That's okay, I was concerned about him upsetting you by suggesting such a thing" Eric glanced at her sideways as he sipped his coffee.

"I couldn't believe he would dump that on you while you're still grieving. It wasn't fair and I told him so" She said as she reached up and re-clipped a clump of hair off her face. "And not asking me about it first, that really cooked my noodle".

Eric listened carefully to what she was saying. She was upset that Eric was upset, but so far she hadn't mentioned being upset about Bill's suggestion. This was even more shocking than Bill's mentioning this to begin with.

"You weren't upset about him suggesting it?" Eric asked.

Sookie took a sip of her coffee and leaned back against the counter's edge. "We had previously discussed getting someone else to stand in for Bill. Our private life is exactly that, private. So we don't do social gatherings where people play with others they barely know or watch others play. I think Bill even looked into hiring a professional who would be discreet and know what he was doing"

She looked up at Eric and met his eyes. "There would have been no sex of course, just playing. But it's very intimate exposing yourself this way in front of someone, and I want to feel comfortable and able to trust who I'm with. I trust Bill completely. And for what it's worth, I trust you".

Taking another sip of his coffee to buy a few seconds, Eric was aware of Sookie observing him closely. He wondered what the psychologist was seeing. "I guess I'm a little shocked by all this Sookie, I just never figured you would be into this kind of thing. You were pretty conservative about sex while we were in college".

"I don't know how much Bill told you, but we're not extreme . I'm not his slave. I don't call him master even when we're playing. I told him the day I call him master is the day Hell freezes over". Sookie giggled a little with that statement. "We don't do anything dangerous, or that causes scarring, like whipping or edge play with knives. And we switch off, so sometimes I submit to him and sometimes he submits to me. This is a part of our sex life Eric, but it's not our entire sex life. And most of what we do is more about sensation than pain. Pain is rarely involved. We just have fun".

Eric looked down into his coffee cup, willing it to give him the right words "I feel better that you've told me all this since I was a little concerned after my conversation with Bill last night"

"You were concerned he was abusing me or oppressing me in some way"?

"I wasn't sure. That was the worst part and I was wondering if I should step into a situation that was definitely not my business".

Sookie put her cup down on the counter and stepped forward, putting her arms as far around Eric as she could. "You're a good man,Eric. I've always known that. Bill and I just like to try new things, explore our horizons a little and make each other happy. If either of us finds something unacceptable, we just don't do it".

Eric slid his free arm around her shoulders, holding her soft body against his and pressing his cheek against her fragrant hair. "So I don't need to swoop in and rescue you"?

Sookie smiled softly, "No, but I do appreciate the sentiment".

"Sookie, is this something you would want to do"?

Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned away gazing at the bright white light coming through the patio windows. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't even consider it. But you and I never had any trouble in the sex department. And I'm so comfortable with you. It doesn't feel wrong at all. Is that strange?"

"Well, I don't remember us going very far in the sex department, but I'm glad you have fond memories of what we did do" Eric smiled. He couldn't believe they were having this conversation. "And if I hadn't been so shocked by Bill just unloading all that on me last night, well…...I guess I would consider it, for you. If it's something you want".

"Only if you're comfortable Eric, please don't feel obligated. I won't die if this doesn't happen, okay?"

"Can't he just, you know, ORDER you to do ..um..whatever he wants?"

"We've actually been doing that, and it's fun. But it's a very different dynamic when someone has you physically restrained in some way. Believe it or not, it can actually be relaxing to give up control like that. You have to really trust the other person to make all the decisions. When someone dominates you that way, you have to really focus on them and they on you. It's hard to explain if you've never tried it".

"And you wouldn't mind me ..ah…dominating you in that way?" Eric wasn't even sure how to phrase the question. "You would like that"?

"As long as you're not freaked out and upset about what we're doing. Like I said, I'd rather not do this at all than have you unhappy about what we do. Bill would be directing you on what to do, and we wouldn't do anything complicated since you have no experience. Does that sound acceptable?"

"As long as I don't have to do anything horrible or scary to you, I should be okay. I'd hate to ruin your fun because I'm a pussy". Eric chuckled.

"How did the crazy Viking turn into a pussy?" Sookie asked with mock horror on her face.

"Oh my God, I havn't been called that since college!"

They both laughed again as Sookie turned back towards him and hugged him tightly. She was right. This did feel very comfortable and just the fact he was willing to consider it was in direct relation to how warm and wanted she made him feel. He would talk to Bill further about what to expect since it appeared Bill would be in charge.

"Sookie? I have one more question for you. It's a bit personal".

She stood back and stared up into his eyes, her eyes crinkled from smiling. "You can ask me anything".

"What is it with the pigs"?

* * *

After teasing her mercilessly about her pig jammies, Sookie declared that "someone" would end up fending for themselves for breakfast if they kept it up. Eric knew better. Sookie was too Southern to leave a guest floundering in her kitchen unattended.

She waved him out of the kitchen as she pulled out a couple bowls and a skillet. After having complained about feeling lethargic from his meetings and the airport, Sookie had advised him there was a treadmill under the bed in his room. So while she was working on breakfast, he went to his room to jump on the treadmill and call Pam again.

Pam told him the storms had passed, but now the cleaning up was beginning. The planes probably wouldn't start flying again until the following morning. Getting literally hundreds of planes and airports going again doesn't happen immediately. Eric knew even if he threw around his Executive Business Class Premium Status with his preferred airline, it was likely the earliest he could get to Boston would be late Christmas evening. Pam laughed at him and reminded him she was "a big girl now" and it was okay for him not to be there Christmas morning.

He felt better after running the treadmill for thirty minutes. A hot shower and he was ready for breakfast.

Bill had finished checking his emails and was sitting at the table eating already when Eric went back into the main living area. Sookie had gotten dressed and was putting on her coat.

"You boys behave! I'll be back in a little while", she said as she sailed out the door.

"She needed a few things from the grocery store. She doesn't want to run out tomorrow", Bill explained. "I saw on the internet that the storms had passed up North, but it's a heck of a mess cleaning up. Did you get a hold of Pam?"

"Yes, I did. The earliest I can probably fly out would be tomorrow evening. I'll check with my airline and see if I can fly out of Shreveport since its closer", Eric said as he spooned a spicy smelling egg concoction onto his plate. "What is this? It smells wonderful".

"Well, it's eggs obviously, but there's some spicy sausage, a little onion, and few other things Sookie won't tell me", Bill said with a smile.

"MMMM! It's delicious!" Eric said after taking a bite.

Bills sat back in his chair, "Sookie tells me you have had a change of heart about my proposal?"

Eric chewed slowly to buy some time, "Yes, maybe, I guess so, but I need to clarify a few things with you first. I only know a little about this kind of thing, and I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into".

"Ask me anything" Bill said firmly, "This will only work if we're all on the same page and comfortable with the situation. Please let me alleviate any concerns for you Eric".

Eric took a breath, "Okay, just so I'm clear, will Sookie be naked?"

"Yes, for most of this, she will need to be".

"What about the two of us"?

"I will stay clothed since I'll primarily be guiding you and not directly involved. You can be clothed or not, whatever makes you the most comfortable".

"Are you going to make her cry? I think the thing that would bother me the most is watching her be humiliated or abused. I know this is all a game, and some people enjoy it, but I don't think I could handle watching that".

"No, we're not going to do anything that extreme. We rarely play like that to begin with, and we don't do humiliation games. I won't call her offensive names either because I don't like it. We tried it once and Sookie was fine with it, but it really bothered me, so we never did it again. We're not going to use any tools that require practice to use safely either, so you don't end up hurting her by mistake".

"I'm glad you're taking my lack of experience into consideration".

"I have to since her safety is my responsibility. If I were submitting to her, I'd be depending on her to keep me safe. That's number one. We also use safety words, but we rarely need them anymore because I can read her well enough to know when she's had enough".

"It's amazing that you trust each other this way. I'm glad you're explaining all this to me, so I can feel like I can trust you".

"It's ironic, but doing all this forces you to be really honest and open about what you want. And you have to communicate a lot with your partner. There has to be a lot of back and forth or it'll be a bad experience, and you'll both be miserable. It took us a while to get to this point. We had a few nights where we ended up angry at each other because we weren't communicating".

"It's strange, because like most people, I've assumed that the relationship had some unhealthy components to it for this type of thing to be going on" Eric said carefully.

"I won't lie. This type of thing attracts extremists, and some of them are mentally unhealthy to begin with. And you get people who are emotionally damaged and being in a restrictive master/slave relationship is the only way they can function. I don't pass judgement on those people, but I don't want to be one of them either. But Sookie and I are probably like most people who do this privately. It's fun, adds a lot of interest to our private life, and we've learned more about each other by doing it".

"Are you going to give me a blow by blow on how this whole shebang is going to roll out"?

"I'm going to ask another favor of you Eric. I'm going to ask you to trust me to not put you in a bad situation and that you'll enjoy yourself tonight. I have a general outline in my head, but it's best when you can be spontaneous too".

"Are you expecting anything sex wise from me"?

"Do you have any objections to touching Sookie intimately? She and I discussed it briefly, and I think she would be fine if you touched her or used your mouth if you want. But if that makes you uncomfortable, then we'll do something else".

Eric's mind drifted to what it would feel like to have his hands on a soft, woman's body again, Sookie's body especially. It was bizarre talking about this with Bill, but Bill was being very calm about it. It didn't seem so bad. He could handle that, he thought.

Bill had sat quietly waiting for Eric's response. Eric took a breath, "Alright Bill, it sounds like you've thought of everything and this could be kind of fun. So, I'm willing to try it. What should I wear?"

Bill smiled bigger than Eric had seen so far, "Thanks Eric, I appreciate this. You should just wear something comfortable, that you can move in".

"Would running pants and a t-shirt work okay?" Eric didn't have anything that shouted "Dungeon Master!".

"That would be fine. Would you like to play chess now, since Sookie will be gone for a while?" Bill asked. His tone was eager.

"Yes, I'm ready to kick you around the chess board", Eric laughed. So they set up the board and started.

* * *

They played three times and Eric won all three. Bill was a bit grumpy after all this and mumbled about checking something on his computer. Eric just smiled and let him go since he needed to check the airlines on his laptop. As he figured , flying out before Christmas evening was going to be impossible. He called the airline directly, threw his frequent flyer business class around and got bumped up to First Class for no extra charge. He shut his laptop with a satisfied sigh. For someone as tall as he, flying first class wasn't just a luxury.

He went back into the living room and turned on the plasma television after spending a few minutes figuring out the remotes. It had stayed cold enough outside for the light snow to have stayed on the ground. He flipped to the weather channel and they were calling for a little more light "dusting" that evening. So Louisiana was going to have a white Christmas, which was amazing. Eric found the whole thing amusing since in Chicago a "light snow" was anything that could be measured in inches.

While watching sports and part of a movie, the doorbell rang. Not wanting Bill to have to race to the door, Eric went and got it. A florist delivery van was parked outside. A delivery person completely shrouded by a vase filled with a huge bouquet of roses was standing there. It turned out to be a she after she handed Eric the vase. Eric signed for them and she also handed him a shoebox sized green box tied with a red bow.

"You'll need to keep the box in the fridge so they'll keep longer", she said.

"Okay", he replied, not wanting to get into a conversation about what was in the box. He set the vase of roses on the dining table and went to put the box in the refridgerator when Bill walked into the room.

"Who was that? Oh, Sookie's flowers arrived, very good", Bill smiled as he inspected the bouquet. "Did they bring a box as well?"

"Yes, she told me to put it in the refridgerator, so that's what I did", Eric answered. He joined Bill at the table. The bouquet was huge. It probably held three dozen red roses with a single white one in the middle. Some greenery was scattered around the edges.

"Sookie will love these", Bill said as he shifted the vase to the center of the table.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's in the box? A corsage?" Eric teased.

"No, you'll see what's in it later tonight", Bill replied mysteriously. He seemed very pleased about something. Eric hoped he would be too.

"So it's going to be a part of our little game"? Eric didn't know what else to call it.

"Yes it is, as a matter of fact. Sookie has some baking to do this afternoon. We'll have a light supper, she'll take a shower since she didn't have one last night, then we'll set up and get started. How does that sound?" Bill asked.

Eric was trying to reconcile in his head the mental picture of Sookie baking with what they were going to do tonight. He decided to give up on that. "That sounds fine, Bill". He started to say something else, but the phone in Bill's office started ringing.

Bill got an annoyed expression, "He's such an infant. I've already explained the protocols to him twice. I'm sorry Eric, I have to take this call and get this guy straightened out. He's down at the lab, shutting everything down for the holiday. I won't be long".

"Don't worry about it Bill, I'll go back to the television" Eric sat back down, since he didn't want Bill to feel like he had to entertain him every second. It wasn't like they'd known he was going to be there and he was sure they had things to get done the day before Christmas. Wrapping didn't appear to be one of them judging by the presents under the tree. He wondered what Sookie would be baking. He leaned back into the sofa, trying to follow the plot of the movie he'd been watching when the front door had rung. His eyelids started sinking, than he drifted off.

When he woke up, he was half reclined on the sofa and covered with Sookie's crazy quilt. He sniffed, than sniffed again because something smelled wonderful. The smell was what woke him up. Looking over towards the kitchen, he saw Sookie sliding a cookie sheet out of the oven.

"Hey sleepyhead!" she laughed. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yes I did. You should have woken me, Sookie. Do you need any help?" Eric asked as he stretched and dragged himself off the sofa.

"I'm fine", she replied cheerfully "I didn't want to wake up any of the old men in the house. It's easier to get things done that way. Bill's napping too".

"Hey, be careful who you're calling old. Just because I don't have nice hair anymore….." Eric whined.

"Don't be such a baby! Your hair looks great. Your hairline is a little higher then it used to be, but it's not like you're bald, for goodness sake!" Sookie rolled her eyes at Eric.

"Sometimes I miss the long hair I had in college", Eric said with a nostalgic sigh.

"Yeah, you had really nice hair back then", Sookie stopped speaking for a moment while she slid the warm cookies onto a cooling rack. "But long hair never looks right on mature men. The haircut you have now is flattering. Be happy you're not completely gray and deal with it"

Eric laughed a little at Sookie's bluntness. They had always been able to be very honest with each other which was great. But it had caused problems when they were younger and had trouble compromising. Eric realized now that their immaturity and impatience had doomed their relationship.

"I envy Bill" Eric blurted out.

Sookie looked startled as she was plopping little globs of dough on the cookie sheet, "What do you mean"?

"He has that nice salt and pepper look with his dark hair. It makes him look all distinguished instead of washed out blond like mine"

"Oh", she looked like she had been expecting Eric to say something else. Eric walked over, and stood on the dining room side of the counter where she was working. It was like a mini assembly line. She had started her countertop mixer, and it was making a soft whirring sound as it chugged away. There were cut out cookies waiting their turn for the oven and a few cooling racks for the ones just removed. Eric quickly snuck a hand out and grabbed a warm cookie when Sookie turned her back.

"Eric"! Sookie pointed at him, "You are so bad"!

"Isn't that what you always liked though"?

"Yes", she replied, surprising him. "You were always just bad enough to be exciting, but not so much that we got arrested".

"We came close a couple times though", He smiled at the memories.

Sookie winked at him, "True" and went back to her baking. Eric ended up helping her frost, decorate and box the cookies. She had made some to take around to her neighbors the next day. Eric tied the big red ribbons around the little boxes for her. They were cleaning up when Bill walked back in.

"Did you save any cookies for the neighbors, or did Eric eat them all?" Bill asked as he ran his gaze around the kitchen.

"Haha, I only ate half of them Bill", Eric answered, "They were delicious by the way".

"There's plenty left", Sookie laughed "and I picked up supper from Joe's Deli. The sandwiches are in the warming drawer and the salads are in the fridge".

"They were still open?" Bill seemed surprised.

"I think I was their last customer. They said to tell you hi and Merry Christmas and ushered me out the door".

"Their food must be pretty good if you go there that often", Eric commented.

"Oh it is", Sookie replied "Let's eat".

They sat down at the table and laid out the food. It was getting dark outside already, so Bill turned on a few of the lamps and the Christmas tree. Just like the previous night, conversation at the table was relaxed and Eric enjoyed the meal immensely. He was starting to get a bit anxious about what they were about to do and wondered if he had made a mistake. Reconnecting with these old friends had been such a happy accident and now he was worried. What if the "game" didn't go so well? What if he did something wrong? What if Bill got jealous or upset? What if Sookie didn't like it? What if they asked him to do something he found offensive?

Eric had complete confidence in himself in a sexual situation under normal circumstances. But he hadn't been with anyone but Aude since the day they got married, and these were not normal circumstances. Bill had asked him to trust him. And Eric knew Sookie wouldn't put him in a bad situation, so he had to believe Bill's assurances that it would be fun.

And he was overdue for some fun. This may be much more complicated and kinky then he had had in mind, but hopefully it would be fun. Eric didn't like putting himself in other people's hands, but he would just have to trust his old friends and see what happened.

They cleared off the table and got rid of the trash. Bill said he'd be back in a minute and went back to his office.

"Well, I'm going to take my shower now. Are you nervous?" Sookie smiled at Eric with a tight expression.

"I guess you could say that. It's been so long, and I'm also wondering what my wife would have thought of me", Eric didn't know why this hadn't occurred to him before.

"Aude would have wanted you to be happy. She really loved you. Even when you were irritating the crap out of her, she loved you", Sookie spoke sincerely and touched Eric lightly on the chest.

Eric put his right hand over hers, pressing it against his heart. "Thanks Sookie, I know you're right. It's just …."

"I know"

"Did I really irritate her that much"?

Sookie laughed, patted his chest, and started to walk back towards the master bedroom, when Bill came out of his office carrying a large red box wrapped in a silver bow. He held it out to Sookie.

"Sweetheart, this is for you. Open this for tonight".

"But Bill, it's not Christmas yet!"

"You'll see. Open it, and put the items on", Bill responded with a wink. Sookie got an eager, excited smile and practically trotted down the hall with the big box.

Eric looked at Bill and laughed, "It's like she's still a kid".

"That's one of the many things that I love about her. As long as I'm with her I feel like I will never grow old", Bill said softly. Eric gave him a look of understanding.

Bill started going around the room setting things up. He had Eric bring a chair from the dining room for him to sit on. Bill would be sitting in one of the armchairs. He had brought his wheel chair into the room, but it was backed up to the sofa by itself. There was a short stack of towels on the coffee table and a glass of ice water with a bendy straw next to it on a coaster. Several of the red roses had been pulled out of their arrangement and were setting next to the water. The green florist box was sitting there too. When Bill walked back into the room carrying a large red tool box Eric had to laugh.

"Are we building something? Did you use sex to lure me into helping you build an addition onto your house"?

Bill chuckled, "No, but that's not a bad idea. I'll have to remember that one. It's just easier to carry items I might need in here rather than running back and forth".

They heard the shower down the hall stop. Eric went back to his room and changed into a gray T-shirt and black running pants. Bill was wearing a black T-shirt and old jeans with leather slippers, so it seemed appropriate. Eric decided to stay barefoot since the floors were warm from radiant heating.

Eric sat down on the dining chair. He'd used the restroom and had gotten his eyeglasses per Bill's instructions. His hands started sweating as he was waiting. While he was changing, Bill had placed a long very low bench a couple feet in front of Eric's chair. They heard what sounded like the box's ribbon being ripped off, than peals of laughter rang down the hallway. Sookie sounded like she was laughing her butt off in there. Eric peered at Bill with a question on his face.

Bill looked back at him and mouthed "you'll see" silently. Bill appeared amused, especially when they heard bells jingling from the bedroom. Sookie was laughing some more. Finally, Bill spoke up.

"Sweetheart, I know you're having a good time in there, but we are waiting for you".

"Oh! Sorry, I'll be right out. Bill this was perfect!"

It was the right thing to say. Bill was obviously very pleased and smiling as they heard the bells come jingling down the hall.

Eric took a deep breath and wiped his hands off on his pants. It was time.

TBC

* * *

_A/N You didn't think I was going to give it up on the second chapter did you? I'm not that kind of girl! I am, however, more of a 3rd chapter kind of girl.*wink* _


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N Charlaine Harris owns everything, I own nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch . _

_BETA shoutout! My thanks to Latbfan for beta'ing this story for me even after I pulled it from the contest. She rapped my knuckles with a ruler and sent my chapters back to me all splattered with RED corrections(I'm not kidding!) Thank you for helping me on my way to becoming a better writer. Puss Puss!!_

_To those of you following my other stories, never fear, I'll be getting back to them as soon as this kinky shit is done which will be this week more or less. _

_This is my FINAL WARNING: This chapter contains mature sexual content including BDSM scenarios. Please remember B/S have been married for a long time and know each other's limits. Also, please do not try any of this silliness at home without reading, researching, or an experienced partner. People end up in emergency rooms doing this stuff cuz they don't have any common sense. SAFETY FIRST ! _

_Okay, this is the 3rd chapter and you all bought me dinner so I'm ready to put out. _

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CHAPTER 3

Sookie came trotting into the living room sounding like Santa and his eight tiny reindeer. To Eric, she looked like a giant, kinky Christmas tree ornament. She was wearing a babydoll-style red nightie. The fabric was semi-sheer, and it closed in the front with ties. There were ruffles that ran over the shoulder straps, down the front edges, and along the hem. Ruffled matching panties peeked out below the ruffled floaty hem. The jingling sound had come from a few small jingle bells strapped around her ankles. To Eric's disappointment, she wasn't wearing high-heeled shoes. Instead, she was wearing red Christmas socks with white fake fur around the ankles and little stuffed reindeer heads peering off the front with jaunty red/green scarves. And to top it all off, she was wearing a Santa hat.

She danced spritely into the room, coming to a stop in front of both men. Bill chuckled softly, "You look amazing sweetheart. Exactly as I imagined."

Eric didn't want to start things off by being stupid, so he said the first thing that came to mind, "I guess we're going with a Christmas theme today?" Both Bill and Sookie laughed at that comment.

"Actually, I'm going with a naughty or nice theme, but that's close enough," Bill replied.

Sookie glanced at Eric a little shyly. He suddenly realized she was a little insecure about her body in front of him. "Sookie, you look beautiful in that nightie. You know red is my favorite color." She smiled softly at that comment.

"Alright, let's begin." Bill's voice changed to a brisker tone. "Sookie, go to your spot now."

Sookie immediately walked over to the low bench and stood behind it facing Eric. Standing right in front of him, it was impossible to ignore her large breasts pressing against the sheer fabric. In his seated position, they were right at eye level. He tried not to stare, but Bill wasn't having it.

"Eric, I'd like you to observe Sookie please. Get comfortable looking at her. And Sookie, look at Eric while I'm speaking to you. Do you understand?"

"Okay," she replied.

"Respond to me properly and use my name when you speak to me. You know better."

She caught herself, "I'm sorry Bill. Yes, I'll look at Eric and listen to you."

"And follow my instructions," he continued.

"Yes, Bill."

"That's better. Eric, please come here and take these." Bill held out a set of handcuffs. Eric accepted the steel cuffs from Bill. "Sookie, put your arms behind your back, so Eric can put the cuffs around your wrists. Eric just put them on so they're secure, but don't slap them on tightly. It'll cut off circulation to her hands. Now as long as she's in a standing position with her arms secured like that, you need to be alert that she doesn't lose her balance. We'll put her into a different stance if she has trouble standing."

Sookie put her hands together behind her back so Eric could secure the handcuffs. Eric was glad he didn't have to give "proper responses" to Bill because he had a feeling it was going to be enough just concentrating on his instructions. Now that she was handcuffed, this game became more real to Eric. Well, he had known she would be restrained. He reminded himself Bill wanted him there to keep Sookie safe and tried to tamp down the tightening in his belly at what he was doing.

"Alright, to get you both a little more relaxed, we're going to do an exercise. Eric, please take your hands and start running them over Sookie's body. You can touch her anywhere you wish, but not between her legs."

Eric reminded himself he'd done more than this with Sookie in college. Of course, there hadn't been another man watching from six feet away either. Eric licked his lips a little, feeling like a nervous teenager, which was ridiculous. The low bench prevented him from pulling Sookie to him, so he'd have to reach. He started at her shoulders, rubbing the soft skin, working his way down her arms and to her sides. Keeping his large hands moving slowly, he looked at her face to make sure she was happy with what he was doing. Her lower lip was trembling a little as he grasped the warm flesh of her belly and traced the curve of her hips.

Eyes the color of a stormy ocean caught his and held him in a trance. He reached around to her back and traced the little bumps along her spine. Once his large hands got to her bottom, he grabbed as much as he could and squeezed gently. A tiny gasp escaped her lips and she glanced at Bill, which was a mistake.

"Sookie, what are you doing?" Bill's voice was a little cooler than before.

"I…I'm doing what you told me to do, Bill."

"No, you're not. I told you to look at Eric and listen to me. If I want you to look at me, I'll tell you. You need to focus."

"I'm sorry, Bill," she answered and immediately gazed back at Eric with a little flush on her cheeks. Whether it was from being caught disobeying or embarrassment from what Eric was doing, it was hard to say.

Eric was having troubles of his own. Mr. Happy had caught on to the fact that there was a party going on that he hadn't been informed of in advance. Eric had a feeling that Sookie's cheeks weren't the only thing getting a little flush. He had agreed to touching and maybe using his mouth. Getting an erection right at the beginning of all this would be embarrassing.

He was sliding his hands down Sookie's thighs when he realized Bill was speaking to him. "I'm sorry Bill, I didn't catch that."

Bill raised an eyebrow at him, but simply said, "I'd like you to please untie the top three ties on Sookie's nightie. Then you need to push the fabric aside so her breasts are exposed."

Eric loosened the little red ties as Sookie looked down and watched his hands. Her breasts swelled out of the fabric as soon as they were loose of the ties. Large dusky nipples were hardening in front of his eyes like a miracle product on an infomercial. He shifted in his seat, swallowing hard. He wanted to lean forward and start sucking like a starving baby, but he was there to follow instructions not serve his own purpose. He glanced up at Sookie and was surprised to see a little smile on her face.

Bill spoke up again, "Thank you, Eric. Now I want you to take this." Eric reached out, and Bill handed him a very wide leather belt. It was almost as wide as a weight lifting belt. He wouldn't have to hit Sookie with this huge thing, would he? "Please take this belt and strap it around Sookie's upper arms right under her breasts. Run it under her breasts, then slide up and belt it in the back." It took Eric a few minutes to get it belted, so that her arms were now tightly against her sides. Bill had him double check the tightness with a few fingers to be sure it wasn't cutting off her circulation.

It was a good thing Bill was speaking in his regular, cool voice. And he was still his usual polite Southern self when he was giving Eric instructions on what to do. Eric hadn't expected Bill to be using "please" and "thank you" when directing him. He had pictured Bill barking out commands like a Gestapo Nazi. That would have been intolerable.

Once the belt was buckled, Eric sat back down on the chair to view his handy work. Sookie's breasts were now bulging out over the belt, like balloons that were being squeezed on one end. To his surprise, she didn't seem uncomfortable at all. She seemed ….kind of excited. And to Eric's surprise, he was too. Whoops! Bill was speaking to him again.

"Eric, you may reach up and touch Sookie's breasts if you like."

Eric almost wanted to laugh at that statement. Yes, he most certainly would like. He reached up and gently cupped her breasts with his entire hands. Squeezing the tightened flesh on her breasts, he could feel Mr. Happy demanding to be invited or there was going to be some serious gate crashing. Eric shoved that away and concentrated on stroking and teasing her nipples, giving them little tweaks. Sookie's breathing had definitely changed, getting a little deeper. Every time he tweaked her nipples a little, her breathing would stop for a second.

"Sookie, I have a question for you," Bill said. "Are you a nice girl or a naughty girl?"

Sookie's mouth was partially open as she licked her lips. She was obviously trying to think of which would be the correct answer. Looking at Eric didn't help since he didn't have a clue either.

She looked at Bill and said, "I'm a nice girl."

"Did you forget my name"?

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm a nice girl, Bill" she said firmly, trying to sound confident.

"Really? Well, we'll find out. You're obviously not an obedient one since you're looking around again. Are you having trouble focusing because Eric is here?"

Sookie had snapped her eyes back to Eric once she realized her mistake as she responded to Bill's question. "Yes Bill, I'm having a little trouble focusing." Denying it probably would have been futile anyway.

"Alright, Eric and I are going to help you with that. Eric put these on her, please." Bill extended his closed hand out to Eric. Eric reached out to receive what appeared to be two clamps with little bells on them. This must have been why Bill told him to bring his glasses. There was no way he could see where he was placing them otherwise. Eric perched his glasses on his nose and waited for Bill to follow up. "Put them on her nipples please. Open them and slide them vertically up the base of the nipple until they're on all the way."

Eric felt a little guilty having gotten her nipples all hard and excited. They were innocently staring him in the eyes, unaware they were about to be punished for Sookie's being distracted. Trying to be careful, he slowly eased them on her, a little afraid that he might be hurting her. Once he had them clamped, which looked extremely uncomfortable to Eric, he glanced back up into her eyes. They gazed back into his, smothering his fears. She had her lower lip pulled between her teeth, and she was breathing harder. With each breath, her breasts pushed above the belt making it creak, like they were desperate to escape and run away with him.

Eric almost wanted them to.

Bill's voice interjected, "Eric, you did a good job. You placed them perfectly. Sookie what do you say?"

"Thank you," she replied softly.

"Sookie, that is an incorrect response. I'm not going to remind you again."

"Thank you, Bill and Eric, for helping me focus."

"That's more like it. Now, let's find out if you're a nice girl like you claim to be. Eric, please pull her panties down as far as they comfortably will go and leave them there."

Eric slid his large hands up her thighs and poked his fingers under the elastic holding up her panties. As he pulled them down, he heard a slight jingle from below.

"Sookie! Hold your feet still for Eric," Bill commanded sharply. The jingling stopped.

He got them pulled down to her lower thigh. She appeared to be shaved between the legs with a friendly blond patch of hair left peeking under the nightie's front hem. Before he could stop himself, he delicately brushed the back of his hand against the soft curls. He heard Sookie make a small whimper and a couple quick breaths like she was reminding herself to breath. Eric reminded himself he was supposed to be following instructions, so he sat back in his chair for a second trying to get his bearings.

This wasn't exactly what he'd expected. He had expected to feel extremely awkward, embarrassed, and maybe disgusted. But he hadn't expected to experience the intimacy of having Sookie's full attention on him as he restrained and touched her. And he had known he would probably get turned on somewhat, because he was a man and it had been so long. But he wasn't prepared for the intense arousal he was experiencing by seeing Sookie so vulnerable and trusting. Her face was flushed, lips pink, and her eyes were saturated with lust as they stared right through him.

Even with her arms belted to her sides and handcuffed behind her back, she didn't induce pity. Her large breasts with her nipples painfully clamped above the belt didn't cry for help, but demanded worship. Because he was sitting, he had an excellent view of her mostly naked private area, but she kept her feet planted in the carpet like she'd been instructed, with her panties partially down her legs waiting for what came next.

Eric had been prepared to be embarrassed by Sookie's submission. He hadn't been prepared to be humbled by it.

He started as he realized Bill was speaking again, "Eric, please take your hand and run your fingers between Sookie's legs as you will."

Swallowing hard, Eric reminded himself he had done this with Sookie before too. It had been a long time ago, but he was a grown up now and should be able to handle this. He stopped the tiny groan that started in the back of his throat as he slid his right hand between her legs. The skin of her pussy was silky smooth. He was surprised that there was moisture leaking out from between the lips. His large hand started moving against them, forcing them apart. A moan erupted from Sookie's lips as he stroked her warm wetness with more force.

There was some major gate crashing going on in his pants now. He was glad he was sitting down, since he couldn't hide an erection as large as his even if he were wearing a skirt. Some tiny trickles of sweat were making their way down his back, and he squirmed a little in his seat.

He gazed into Sookie's beautiful face as she began breathing heavily, in time with his strokes. She had bent her knees a little so her lips were spread a little further apart for Eric to continue pillaging with his long fingers. His hand was soaking wet now as he ran his fingers over the swollen clit, stopping to give it a few hard quick rubs with the tip of his finger.

"AH! Oh, yes ..yes…" Sookie cried, starting to pant. She was leaning forward slightly, her hips rocking against Eric's fingers, and bouncing with her knees so that the little bells clamped to her nipples started jingling. Eric braced his left hand against her arm, to help her keep balance as she did this.

Into all this excitement stepped Bill's Voice: "Sookie, you said you were a nice girl, but your pussy is being very naughty. Is your pussy naughty Sookie?"

Eric could tell by looking at her that Sookie's brain was going somewhere else, so he slowed down his stroking to help her out. She kept rocking along and between her deep breaths she said, " I think ..yes it……ah ….yes..."

"Does your naughty pussy want to cum on Eric's hand?"

Eric wondered if he would get a vote on this.

"Oh yes….yes.." Sookie gasped as Eric's finger gave a hard rub against her clit again.

"Eric, stop what you're doing, please," Bill said .

Eric abruptly stopped and looked at Bill with an annoyed expression. He pulled his now warm, soaked hand away from Sookie as she gave a frustrated cry. Sookie wasn't the only one breathing heavily. Eric had been getting into it and matching her for every breath. Bill better have a damn good reason for stopping, Eric thought.

"Sookie, you've given five wrong responses, even though I've corrected you more than once. There's no reason for you to be able to respond at all is there?"

Sookie stared down at the floor, looking embarrassed at being chastised in front of Eric.

"Sookie, I asked you a question," Bill's voice was becoming cool again.

"I'm sorry, Bill, for not responding correctly," Sookie almost sounded a little sullen.

"Yes, I'd say there's no reason for you to be able to speak at all. Eric, I'd like you to put this on Sookie please." Bill leaned over, handing him a hand towel and what appeared to be some type of gag.

Eric wiped his right hand on the towel and had to put his glasses back on to study the gag. It was a ball gag (even Eric knew what those were). The ball was golfball sized and white with speckles. It had a white plastic stick driven through it and the headstrap attached to that. Eric tapped the hard ball with his fingernail.

"This looks like a jawbreaker," he commented.

Bill smiled, "It is a jawbreaker. I wanted to try something new. Please study the buckle closely before putting it on Sookie. As long as she has it in her mouth, we'll be keeping her in an upright or forward position. If she starts to choke at any point, don't wait for me, just get it off immediately, okay?"

Eric nodded, feeling the responsibility of being one of the dominating men in the room. Now he understood Bill's reluctance to do any of this on his own with his current physical issues. If something went wrong, it could get scary really quickly if the person in charge couldn't react quickly.

To put it on her, he had to stand up. Fortunately, this lull had reduced some of his more apparent arousal, so he didn't feel as awkward standing up to put this on Sookie. She had stayed silent after being chastised. Eric removed her Santa hat to get the straps around her head and secured. She opened her mouth without a fuss, and he awkwardly pushed the ball onto the center of her tongue and strapped the gag into what seemed to be a comfortable position. When he was done, he looked at Bill for his approval. Bill gave Sookie an appraising look, than nodded. "Thank you Eric." Eric plopped her hat back on her head and sat back down, hoping to pick up where they left off.

Apparently, Bill had other plans. He had stood up, and had his right hand tucked behind his back. He seemed to be walking better to Eric's eyes, and his left arm was only jerking slightly.

"Eric, please remove Sookie's panties, then help her stand up on the bench and stand behind her. Sookie, I want you to look at me now." Bill's dark eyes were fixed on his wife's face. His expression was neutral.

Sookie stood on the bench with Eric pressed behind her keeping his left hand on her arm for balance. Even with her bound arms and hands brushing against Eric's front, she focused on her husband standing in front of her.

"Please remove the clamps from Sookie's breasts, then I want you to hold both of her shoulders so she doesn't move."

Sookie seemed to have an idea what was coming. She let out a little high pitched sound. Eric couldn't tell if she was trying to say something around the gag or not. He trusted that Bill was telling the truth when he said he knew his wife's limits. Eric reached around and unclipped the clamps at the same time. Sookie jerked against him making a little squealing sound. It hadn't occurred to Eric that they would hurt more coming off than they did going on. As he looked over her shoulder at her poor flattened nipples re-inflating themselves with blood, he understood why.

Bill waited until she had settled down, and Eric had her securely against him. She definitely knew what was coming. Eric could tell from how tense her body had gotten and the way she was leaning back against him.

"Sookie, since you've been unable to give proper responses this evening, you will be punished and gagged to prevent further mistakes. I want you to spread your legs out as far as you can on the bench. Eric will support you from the back so you won't fall."

Sookie slowly spread her legs apart as Eric gripped her arms tighter so she'd feel more secure. Bill brought his right hand out from behind his back. He was holding some kind of crop in his hand that had obviously not been made for horses. At the end of it there was a pink heart with "love hurts" stamped into the leather. Eric would have found that funny if he hadn't been worried about what Bill was going to do.

When Bill snapped the heart down on Sookie's left breast, she jumped, and Eric had to quickly steady them. Bill repeated it on her right, and then lowered the crop and snapped it up between her legs. Sookie let out an "ah!" at that. Bill was keeping his arm still. He was only snapping his wrist and normally that wouldn't have been a big deal. But considering how sore Sookie's freshly released nipples were and her pussy still being swollen from Eric's handy work, it probably smarted like hell.

"That's one," Bill declared. "You responded incorrectly five times, so you have four more to go." By round four, Sookie was grunting at the strikes and leaning back against Eric so hard he thought she was going to knock them both over. She started pulling her legs back together, but Bill jumped on her immediately. "Spread your legs like I told you, unless you want more punishment." She gave a heavy sigh, then reopened her legs for round five. Once it was over, she relaxed against Eric while she rubbed her legs together a little.

Bill put the crop down and went over to the water glass, reaching into it and pulling out one of the ice cubes. He came back over and placed his right hand with the cube between Sookie's legs, causing a happy sounding squeal this time. Bill smiled at Sookie as he stroked her face with his shaky left hand.

"Does the cold make you feel a little better?" Sookie nodded. "I'm very pleased with you accepting your punishment so well. Would you like Eric to touch you a little more?" Sookie gave a really vigorous nod this time. Bill laughed and stepped back to his chair. As Eric went to sit back down and get Sookie in front of him again, Bill said, "Have her kneel on the bench in front of you this time. That way you don't have to worry about her balance."

Eric did as Bill instructed. This put Sookie's head a little lower than his. The jawbreaker in her mouth looked ridiculous, but he assumed that was the point. And since it was sugar, her mouth was generating a lot of saliva, some of which was starting to drip out. Eric wondered what it would be like to lick her mouth at this moment.

He realized he wanted to put his mouth on her, but wasn't clear if it would be allowed. After a quick debate in his head on who to ask first, he turned towards the other nongagged person in the room. "Bill, would it make you uncomfortable if I put my mouth on her a little?"

Bill was sitting back relaxed in his chair. He smiled at Eric. "Not at all, but for now I'd prefer you to keep it above the waist please. Sookie, is this acceptable? You may look at me when you answer."

Sookie looked at her husband and nodded. Bill nodded to Eric. "Please continue what you were doing before we had to stop. You'll do this for ten minutes, then we're going to move on to something else."

It took Eric a second to remember what he had been doing before they'd taken the gagging, leather heart crop snapping detour. He decided to go with his first impulse. Gently gripping her shoulders, he leaned in and started running the tip of his tongue around her lips and the jawbreaker that was forcing them open. She emitted a soft "mmm" sound which he took as a positive sign. Opening his mouth fully, he licked the jawbreaker and the sides of her mouth, taking in the sugary sweet drippings that were seeping out.

Sookie's eyes were closed as she drifted in his hands completely relaxed. After licking the sugar from his own lips, he started working his way down her neck. She shivered a little as he took little nibbles on his way to his destination.

Eric sighed deeply when he got to what he wanted. Sookie's bountiful mounds of breast were warm against his lips. There was a light sheen of sweat building between them, and he inhaled her scent deeply. He dragged his lips, then his teeth, against the tight skin. Finally, what he'd wanted to do since he'd exposed them, he opened his mouth wide and clamped around her nipple area. He was groaning even louder than the noises Sookie was making, since her vocals were muffled by the gag. Gripping her shoulders tighter, he slid off the chair onto his knees for a better angle and sucked as hard as he could.

His cock was fully erect now and extended down his pant leg. He couldn't imagine how this looked to Bill, and he didn't care. Everything in the world was right here in this moment. Between his lips, tongue and teeth, he didn't suckle her breasts like a baby. He ravaged them like a man.

Sookie's chest was heaving like she couldn't draw air in fast enough. Eric knew Bill would say something immediately if she was in trouble, so Eric assumed she was enjoying what he was doing. He hadn't lost his touch. Keeping his left arm partially around her and gripping her arm so she wouldn't topple, he let his right hand drift down. Finding her soaked pussy happily waiting for him, he resumed pillaging it with his fingers. Her fluids were running between her thighs as Sookie rocked her hips against his hand.

Eric slid two fingers inside her and was rewarded with a muffled yell. Sookie was trying to meld herself as close to him as she could given her position on the bench and her restraints. Eric clutched her to him as he continued sucking her nipples and letting her ride his hand. She was so close to an orgasm, he just knew it. And right now he probably could have cum just by humping the bench. He knew his back was sweaty, and now his front was getting damp too from all the sweat and body fluids transferring onto him. It seemed like her wet walls were starting to clench around his fingers, so he started rubbing her pussy harder. He wanted to make her cum. This woman who was trussed up like his own personal sex doll and eagerly letting him fuck her with his fingers.

Then Bill's Voice stepped in….again.

"Alright, time's up!" he sounded almost cheerful. "Eric, please stop what you're doing right now."

Eric stopped moving and leaned against Sookie as they both panted and sweated on the edge. Eric thought it was a good thing his hand was buried half way up Sookie's vagina, otherwise he'd be tempted to make a fist with it and punch Bill in the face.

Pushing himself away from Sookie, he held her shoulders while she forced herself into a steadier position. He shoved himself back on his chair, trying to catch his breath. He noticed her face and lips were flushed pink, which was more noticeable due to the white speckled ball. In all the excitement, even more drool was seeping out. The ball must make it impossible to swallow, so she was just letting it come out.

He reminded himself to listen since The Voice had started speaking once again. "Sookie, look at me," Bill said. Sookie obediently turned her face towards her husband. "Get off the bench and walk to me on your knees. I'm going to check and see if you're really a nice girl."

Sookie was awkwardly trying to get off the low bench on her own. Eric grabbed her arms and held on until she had both knees firmly on the carpet. Then he sat back in his chair and watched Sookie's jingling shuffle across the floor to Bill. Bill's dark eyes were completely focused on his wife, following her progress. Once she got in front of his knees, she sat back on her heels.

"I didn't give you permission to sit back. Get up on your knees and spread your legs so I can check that naughty pussy of yours," Bill said sternly. Sookie immediately complied.

Bill leaned over and roughly shoved his right hand between Sookie's legs, causing a yelp to erupt. "What's this? Your pussy is all wet isn't it? Let's check something else. Turn around and bend over until your forehead is on the floor. Spread yourself out for my inspection," he commanded.

Eric wasn't sure how to feel observing this. It was a little embarrassing, but watching Sookie bent over with her ass in the air was causing serious fantasy material to fly through Eric's head. When Bill took both hands and spread her butt cheeks out for a better view, Eric's already hard cock jumped a little. Eric observed Bill's expression closely. While Bill was speaking in a clipped, stern manner to Sookie, the crinkling around his eyes confessed to a smile that wanted to come out. And Eric also noticed Sookie's back arching a little towards her husband. She was trying to expose as much as possible. Bill grabbed her again, and appeared to shove a couple fingers in her, judging from the moan that emitted from her throat. He gave her pussy a couple of wet slaps, then sat back in his chair.

"Straighten up and look at me, Sookie," he said deliberately. She pulled herself up and juggled around on her knees to look at Bill's face. Bill had assumed a very serious expression. "Sookie, you've lied to me. Nice girls don't have naughty pussies like yours. Your naughty pussy with its dirty little swollen clit, did you think I wouldn't notice? You need to be taught a lesson. Now you hustle that wet, swollen pussy of yours back to Eric for a spanking that you most definitely deserve."

Sookie hustled back to Eric on her knees, her expression eager. She was willing to be taught a lesson apparently. Actually, she was more than willing. Eric felt his pulse pick up a little at what he was about to do. Once she jingled herself up to him, he was a little confused about how they wanted him to go about it. Fortunately, Bill had slid back into "teacher" mode.

"Eric, please help her stand so you can get her across your lap. Once you've got her there, drop your left knee a little, and keep your right leg planted straight on the floor. That way her bottom will be up and presented properly," Bill explained. Eric followed Bill's instructions and had Sookie draped across his legs. Once he was done, he looked at Bill for prompting. Bill appeared to have just noticed something, "You know, Eric, your legs are longer than mine. Drape her so her legs are on either side of your right leg, and she's at an angle. Very good, you've got it."

It took Eric a minute to figure out how to comfortably hold her there since her arms and hands were still secured behind her. He put his left arm across them to keep her secure as he rested his right hand on her bottom. The front of her mound was resting squarely on his right knee. And while she was hanging off of him enough that her breasts weren't pressing against him, they were connecting in a different way. Mr. Happy was happily jammed into Sookie's stomach and there was just no way to hide that.

Bill nodded at the set up. "That should work. Eric, because you're at an angle, it'll be easier if you strike one cheek, and then the other. Keep your hand flat and hit the sitting part of her bottom. I'll advise you whether you need to do it harder, softer, or faster. Try to develop a steady pace please." Bill leaned forward a little and raised his voice, "Sookie, keep your legs spread open so I can watch your naughty pussy while Eric is spanking you." Sookie spread her legs so she was wide open for Bill to observe. Bill leaned back in his chair and nodded for Eric to begin.

Eric took a breath, raised his hand and brought it down with a definite slap. His hands were so large that he could smack almost her entire butt cheek. He did it to the other one too, a bit hesitant that he might be too rough. Bill nodded for him to continue. With each smack, Sookie's body arched and her breathing picked up. She was letting out moans so deep they were reverberating from her torso into his cock. And she was slightly grinding her pelvis into Eric's knee. Eric got more confident from her reaction and picked up the pace a little. Even from his angle, he could see her bottom getting red from his hands. He couldn't imagine how it looked from Bill's viewpoint.

After he'd been doing this for a few minutes, the sounds Sookie was making started to change a little. There was a slight jingle as she twisted her feet somewhat on the floor.

"Sookie, hold still! Eric is teaching you a lesson. Keep your legs apart, so I can see that dirty little clit of yours. Nice girls that lie deserve to get their bottoms spanked red." Bill's voice was stern, but since Eric was facing him he could see the edges of Bill's mouth quirking a bit. If Eric didn't know any better, he'd think Bill was trying not to laugh.

Eric's hand was actually starting to get sore. His hand was warm, and so was her butt. This was offset by his stiff cock happily getting a mini massage every time Sookie's tummy convulsed from Eric's smacking her. Eric's head started buzzing a little with visuals of slamming his cock into her while grabbing that red bottom. He could feel his own face flushing with these thoughts, damn his Scandanavian complexion.

Every part of him was getting hot from all this activity. Having Sookie draped across his lap, his left arm hooked across her back, right hand steadily smacking away, and listening to her slurpy-sounding pants and muffled moans of pleasure were driving him into overload. Then Sookie's posture changed, the jingling started again, and an urgent sound erupted from her mouth.

Bill sat forward immediately and said, "Eric, get her up and remove the belt please. Here is the key for the handcuffs".

Eric was suddenly lurching to get her off of him. She wasn't steady enough to stand, so he put her into a kneeling position as he quickly unstrapped the belt. Taking the key from Bill's hand, he slammed his glasses back on his face so he could see the tiny keyhole in the cuffs. Sookie staggered to her feet, Eric gripping her shoulders. He watched as she quickly walked out of the room, her bright red buttocks swaying beneath the ruffled hem.

"Did I do something wrong? Is she okay?" Eric asked as he clenched his right hand open and closed since it was sore now.

Bill sat back, putting the cuffs and coiled belt back into the open toolbox, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. She had to go to the bathroom."

Eric laughed a little, "I guess these things happen."

"Sometimes," Bill's expression became serious. He didn't seem to find it amusing. Raising his voice he called out, "Sookie, you better not be rubbing your butt in there! And you've got 30 seconds to get back to your spot." Yeah, he sounded a little peeved.

Eric thought Bill was being a bit of an ass about the whole thing. Eric hadn't met a middle aged woman yet who didn't have to use the restroom on a frequent basis. Between aging, childbirth, hysterectomies, and all sorts of other things going on down there that Eric didn't want to know about, women just had to go more often.

They heard the toilet flush, and Sookie came speed walking around the corner and quickly went back to her "spot." The slobber coming out of her mouth now was pretty major, and Eric wanted to wipe it away. But it seemed this was a part of the "game" of wearing a gag, so he resisted the temptation. He noticed the jawbreaker was looser in her mouth and wondered if it was melting since it had been in there so long.

"Sookie, look at me," Bill said quietly. Sookie was standing with her hands folded in front of her, breasts hanging out of the nightie like ripe grapefruits on a tree. She looked back at Bill with a meek expression. "I'm going to ask this once. Did you remember to use the bathroom before we started tonight?"

Sookie looked down and shook her head slightly. Bill's face was wiped of all expression. "You know the rules. This is a serious infraction, so I have to punish you." Bill's voice had gotten so cold that Eric was tempted to look around to see if someone opened a window.

The atmosphere in the room had changed, and he was concerned what this punishment was going to be. Things had been going pretty well, nothing had happened that concerned him too much. It had been exciting, arousing, and fun. If Bill whipped out something severe, Eric wasn't sure what he was going to do.

Bill sat quite still, his lips pursed tightly together, staring at his wife's face. Finally, he said, "Alright Sookie, remove your nightie and socks. Leave the gag and the hat in place." Sookie immediately complied, then stood fully focused on Bill awaiting his instructions. Eric squirmed in his chair a little more, his sweaty back itching against the backrest. Even though he had been able to see most of Sookie's body in the nightie, it wasn't the same with her entirely naked in front of him. There was a wide horizontal scar across her abdomen that made her seem more naked for some reason. Eric snapped back to attention when he realized that Bill was speaking to him again. "Eric, could you secure Sookie's wrists behind her back with these please?"

Bill handed him cuffs that were made from nylon and had Velcro to make them secure. There was no play to them, so her wrists were tightly bound once he had them on. On the good side, he could quickly remove them if needed.

Bill took a breath, "Sookie, how many times have you committed this error?"

Sookie seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders like she didn't know. Bill's eyebrows shot up into his hair at this, "Are you shrugging at me!? Then let me tell you, you've done this three times. And for committing this serious infraction on three separate occasions, Eric will continue tanning your bottom outside for three minutes."

It took a second for what he had said to sink in. Did he say OUTSIDE?

The reaction was immediate, Sookie let out a screeching sound, her face scrunched up in anger, and she stomped her foot twice.

"You've just earned two more minutes. Do you want to keep stomping that little foot of yours and make it ten?" Bill asked, returning his wife's glare with his own slitted stare right back.

Sookie realized her situation and adjusted her stance and attitude. Her breasts were still quivering slightly from her heavy breathing, but she was trying to get better control of herself.

Eric felt like he had to say something. He had noticed a light snow when they were eating dinner and putting Sookie outside in it didn't seem reasonable to him. Granted, this wasn't his teaparty, but he'd been invited, and if they wanted him to keep his mouth shut, they should have gagged him too. "Bill, I hate to interrupt, but are you aware that it's snowing outside?" Maybe giving Bill a hint would work.

"Yes Eric, it's just at freezing, there is a very light snow, and there is no wind. I'll keep an eye on my watch; she should be fine," Bill responded politely, but with an air of someone not wanting to be pushed.

Well too bad, Eric wasn't afraid to push. He was a lawyer for god's sake. "Bill, I just don't think this is reasonable. I realize you have to do some type of punishment, but I'm not sure this is the right way to go about it." Eric was trying for diplomacy. He didn't want to start a feud in the middle of all this and ruin the fun.

For a second, it looked like Bill was going go into a snit or tell Eric off, but he turned to Sookie instead. "Well Sookie, it appears someone is unhappy with my chosen punishment for you. So I'll offer you an alternative, and you can choose which one is acceptable. These are the choices: either Eric continues spanking you outside for five minutes, or you grab your ankles and I get out the cane. Would you prefer the cane for five minutes?"

Sookie's face immediately took on a horrified expression, and she shook her head at mention of the "cane." She gave a few muffled "no's!" as well around the rapidly shrinking jawbreaker.

"So you're choosing to have Eric spank you outside?"

She nodded and said, "ease ill" which was her way of saying, "Please, Bill."

"Very well, Eric, we'll wait while you get your coat and shoes." Bill, to his credit, spoke matter of factly and didn't try to gloat.

Eric felt that Bill had "stacked the deck," since he'd obviously chosen an alternative punishment that Sookie wouldn't like. But he could still make a point since he didn't want to leave Sookie alone to face her punishment. "No, Bill I'll go outside like I am," he said breezily, like it was no big deal.

Bill snorted a little at that, but nodded his head. "Alright, it's up to you. Please walk her outside, and I'll start timing once you start."

Eric gripped Sookie's shoulders, and they marched slowly out the patio door, across the enclosed patio area where the hot tub was, and then out the exterior screen door. She made a miserable sound and immediately hunched over when they got outside. The bells around her ankles added a cheerful note to all this drama. To Eric, it was refreshing at first after getting all warm inside the living room. But he was also used to living in Chicago with much colder winter temperatures and wind chills that killed people on a regular basis. He remembered that Sookie had always hated the cold and right now being naked, she had to be utterly miserable.

There were snowflakes lazily drifting down onto the white ground that had been laid earlier. The back end of the house made an "L" and with the woods around them, it was very quiet, still and Christmasy. If they had been strolling outside with heavy coats and hot coffee in hand, it would have been enchanting.

Bill was behind them, and he stood in the doorway under the eave. "Kneel her on the picnic table seat. Eric, then bend her over so her front is on the table itself." Eric gritted his teeth as Sookie made a miserable sound when he pushed her into the light layer of snow that lay on the picnic table. His feet were already feeling the cold, and his arms were goose pimply. "As soon as you start, Eric," Bill prompted, as he looked down at his watch. With the white snow, it wasn't that hard to see outside with all the reflection and a half moon glowing overhead.

Eric raised his hand and resumed spanking Sookie's bottom. Even though he was deliberately not smacking her as hard as before, the sound of it rang out since it was so quiet outside. They were too far away from neighbors to be seen, but Eric wondered what the local wildlife must be making of this. Sookie's hands were still bound behind her, and she had her legs and feet tightly together as she tried to keep warm. With her breasts and stomach pushed into the snow, it was affecting her dealing with the cold. The jingle bells rang out when she started shivering as Bill called out, "You have three more minutes to go, Sookie."

Since he hadn't been specifically told not to, Eric started using his left hand to rub her back vigorously. She shifted a little, moaning her appreciation and arching her bottom out for him a little. It hadn't occurred to him that the spanking itself would keep her blood flowing and help keep her warm. He picked up the pace as she shivered and jingled a little harder. Bill called out again, "You have one more minute. Sookie, you're doing very well."

That was easy for Bill to say. Eric stomped his feet a little in the snow as he continued. Finally, Bill said, "Time's up! You can stop now. Bring her in, Eric."

Eric held onto Sookie tightly as they stumbled back into the house much more quickly than they had left. Once they were inside the toasty living room, Bill came up and handed Eric a towel. He kneeled down in front of his wife, and vigorously toweled her feet dry as she lifted them. She gave a satisfied sigh as he pulled the Christmas socks back onto her feet. He led her back to his chair and had her kneel down as he sat. Using the towel and he kept rubbing her all over to warm her up. As she kept shivering a bit, he pulled her close between his legs and kept stroking her arms and back.

Eric went back to his chair and wiped his own feet off, relieved that Sookie was okay, just a little chilled. It had only been five minutes, but it had probably felt much longer to her. After a couple minutes, Sookie seemed to be warming up and relaxed against Bill.

Bill put his hands on both sides of her face staring into her eyes with an affection that startled Eric. It was hard to reconcile with what had just happened. Bill straightened her hat then said, "Sweetheart, you were so beautiful out there in the snow. I know how much you hate the cold, and your submission to me was glorious to see. I love you." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. She leaned against him, settling her face against one shoulder. Bill flickered a glance in Eric's direction. "Sookie, Eric has been a real trouper, don't you agree?" Sookie glanced over her shoulder and nodded vigorously. "He's done a wonderful job on your bottom. Make sure he gets a good look at it."

Sookie arched her back and stuck her bottom out. She spread her legs a little, so Eric had a clear view of her bottom, the cheeks as red as the roses on the table. And peeking out from between those red cheeks was her naked pussy, winking at him like a flirty girl at a party.

Eric was overcome by the sudden thought, "I did that. I made that happen." Warmth started stirring again between his legs, and he was getting aroused just thinking about how he'd dominated her on his lap and outside. Then he realized Bill was watching him closely.

Bill reached around Sookie, lightly running his fingernails across her red cheeks as she shuddered. This time it wasn't from the cold. He peered at Eric over her shoulder, grabbed her buttocks and spread them apart, displaying her for him.

Eric wasn't sure what to make of this. Was the game over? Did Bill want to go have sex with Sookie alone? As usual, he chose the direct approach.

"Would you two like to be alone now? Are we done with all this now?" Eric asked as he made an encompassing gesture around the room.

Bill smiled, nuzzled his wife's neck, and slapped her bottom hard with both hands, causing her to jump. "Oh no, we're not done yet," he replied.

TBC

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_A/N The reason mature people have more stamina than younger people? NAPS! That's the key! _

_ I'm not going to have chapter 4 beta'd , I'll just bang it out and post it cuz I don't want you all sitting there frustrated like Sookie waiting for Bill to let her cum. *evil cackle* _

_I should post it in a couple days. Reviews help me write faster you know. _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N Charlaine Harris owns everything, I own nothing, nada, zero zilch zip_

_My Beta was using her ruler on me too hard*smirk*, so I just did this one on my own. All mistakes are mine._

_I'm listing this story complete, but you'll notice I left the ending open so I can revisit it again in the future. So if I get the urge to write some playful kink again, I'll pick this story up and do a bonus chapter. So add it to your alert list! Hey, you didn't think I had their kids going to college in the same state for no reason did you?_

_Those of you who are Nesting Instincts fans, I am hard at work finishing the next chapter and hope to update soon. Thank you for your patience. These kinky middle aged people have the stamina of camels I'm telling you._

_enjoy!_

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CHAPTER 4

Eric was really glad he'd taken the nap on the sofa earlier. All this kink was tiring him out. Now he realized why 90% of the population preferred simple, straightforward sex. It was just easier and less exhausting. This kinky stuff was a lot of work and not just physically. He had to really pay attention to what was going on and focus on Sookie. It was more intense, not just because of what they were doing but how.

He heard a ripping sound as Bill yanked at the Velcro holding Sookie's nylon cuffs together. Once that was done, Bill murmured for Sookie to go lie across the low bench again. Bill stood up and gestured to Eric, "Eric, I need you to help me adjust the dining table please".

They both grabbed an end and with Bill's direction, the table was angled so the wide side was facing parallel towards the bench Sookie was resting across. Then Bill went to his toolbox and got out some tightly wound bundles of rope. He crouched down next to Sookie's head and started tying one end of rope to her left wrist. Then he pulled the rope and walked over to the dining table. The table's legs had heavy, thick, bulging carvings on them and he secured the rope above the top bulge. He repeated this on her other arm, so now Sookie's arms were pulled straight out above her head while she was bent over the bench. Her knees were still resting on the floor, but not for long.

"Do you need any help?" Eric asked, even though he had no idea what Bill was doing.

"Yes, hold on to one of her legs so they're raised level to her body and spread out. Eric hunched down and grabbed a leg while Bill secured a complicated looking knot around her ankle. He then ran it over the sofa and appeared to tie it off on the sofa leg on the opposite side. They repeated this on the other leg, but that rope was tied to the entertainment center.

Sookie was now spread out and tied off to the major pieces of furniture in the room. They had to step over tightly strung rope which was approximately one foot off the floor. The bench was supporting her weight though, since her middle was still resting on it.

It looked completely insane and unsafe, so Eric made himself ask, "Bill is this going to be okay? Will her weight be supported?"

"Yes, the furniture only has to hold her limbs. Most of her body weight is still being supported by the bench, "Bill bent over Sookie, who had been quiet during all this manuveuring, "Are you comfortable Sookie? Do I need to adjust any of the rope?"

She shook her head and answered with a fairly clear "no". The jawbreaker was definitely smaller because they could hear her clacking it between her teeth a little now.

Bill stepped carefully over to his toolbox and pulled out a couple tools. Laying them on the coffee table he pointed them out to Eric, "Eric, if she gets into trouble these are what you use to cut her loose. The blunt nosed ones are surgical sissors if you need to cut rope next to her skin. The other ones are tin snips. I don't use them for anything but this so they're very sharp. They'll cut right through this cotton rope with one snip. Please be careful as you step over the ropes, or you may prefer to stay in one section".

"I think I'll stay in one section," Eric answered, especially since he wasn't sure what they were doing now. He stood in the roped area to Sookie's right side. Bill was standing towards her left since she was lying on her stomach.

Much to Eric's relief, Bill said, "We're going to have a little fun now". He pulled out a blindfold, bent over, and slid it on Sookie after removing, then replacing her Santa hat. He pulled a plastic bag from behind one of the chairs and dumped the contents on the coffee table. Sookie's head jerked around as she tried to listen for what was coming next. Eric looked at the array of items on the table and smiled at Bill. This was going to be fun.

Eric gazed down at Sookie spread eagle at his feet. Her pinkish red bottom was spread out somewhat since her legs were tied to different sides of the room. If he moved to the roped section between her legs, he'd have a really good view all the way to France. His cock started throbbing again at the sight of Sookie being tied down and waiting for him to do ..well..whatever…to her. He had never figured himself for a guy who would want to see a woman completely helpless. Women who always agreed with him or played the doormat really well did absolutely nothing for him. So this was a complete surprise.

Bill was watching him. Eric felt a little awkward at the erection he knew was developing yet again. But he reminded himself this had all been Bill's idea and Bill had to have understood what would happen. Which was more than Eric had figured. Not only was Eric having some fantasies about what he wanted to do to Sookie with her tied up, but he started wondering what it would be like if HE was the one tied up. Bill and Sookie had both mentioned that they switched off. This meant sometimes Sookie was the dominate person and Bill submitted to her will.

Now what would that be like?

What would it be like to have Sookie ordering him around for her pleasure and being "forced" to comply? Maybe she would wear some hot shoes instead of the silly reindeer socks she was wearing now.

Oh yes, another surge working its way down between his legs. He squelched this distraction as Bill waved him towards the coffee table. He'd have plenty of time to play with these fantasies in his head once he got home.

There was quite a hodge podge of stuff on the coffee table. There was a crop with feathers on the end, and a big mitt made from real fur, a few vibrators, some odd little toys, a back scratcher, large rubber bands, and other doo dads. It was hard to know what to choose.

Eric had kind of figured out what they were doing now. He and Bill would take various items off the table and tease Sookie with them. That was simple enough, he could handle that. Bill was gesturing again, apparently giving Eric first choice. Eric chose the crop with the feathers and the fur mitt. Bill kneeled down next to Sookie, so Eric did the same. It was less awkward than standing above her since she was so low to the floor.

When little boys first discover the existence of little girls, their first impulse is to tease and torment them. Later on, they find out that being nice works better. But they never lose the desire to tease and torment.

Sometimes the girls start to like it.

He waited to see how Bill would start. Bill had some type of small wind up toy in his hand. There was a low grinding noise while he wound it up. Sookie's head cocked back and her body was a little tense while she waited. Bill smiled at Eric over Sookie's back as he put the toy on her tailbone and let it go. It was one of those little mechanical toys that walk and make noise. A little dog with his legs flapping away walked up Sookie's spine as he went "ARF!, ARF!, ARF!".

Giggles erupted from Sookie once she realized what was walking up her back. Her back shook from laughing and the poor little wind up dog fell over and spun in a circle barking away.

Let the fun begin.

Eric started by running the feathers under Sookie's arm, then down her ribs causing laughter and jingling as Sookie twisted away. He kept running the feathers lightly up and down her sides, inside her thighs, and across her bottom. Bill was using the back scratcher in a light dragging motion, following the feathers around.

Eric switched to the fur mitt. Whatever type of animal had died for this mitt, it had been extremely soft. When he started running his furry hand up Sookie's leg the giggles turned into soft moans. He caught himself smiling as he ran the mitt across her pink bottom and up her back. She was arching a little, giving herself to the sensual touch of the fur. The moans got deeper when he reached under and ran it over her breasts.

He heard a buzzing sound and realized Bill had switched to a tiny massaging type vibrator that clipped to his fingers. He scooted the massager around her body, touching here and there. Then he settled for gliding it inside her thighs right next to her sex, but not on it. Sookie made a little grunt of frustration and seemed to be trying to open herself further to tempt Bill, but it was to no avail.

They continued this way for a little longer. He and Bill would switch devices as they played with Sookie's body. Working silently, they gave her no indication what was coming or from where. The only sounds in the room were Sookie's giggles, moans, or sighs depending on what they were doing to her. Sometimes she would try to kick her legs during some torment they were applying and the bells would jingle merrily in the background.

A shower was going to be needed later, of that Eric was certain. He was back to being sweaty again from all the fun. And it was fun. Tickling, rubbing, stimulating Sookie's body as she twisted her spread out body around was definitely fun.

Bill was rummaging in the tool box again. He pulled out a latex glove and motioned for Eric to put out his left hand. Eric watched blankly as Bill snapped it on his hand, then took a tube and squirted some gel over his fingers. Bill spread one of her cheeks out and squirted some gel on her back opening which generated a little squeal since the gel was cold.

Her body had gone tense again, waiting for what they were going to do to her. Bill spread both her butt cheeks completely apart, exposing her shiny wet pussy and an anus that was puckering in anticipation. He pointed for Eric to put his thumb in the back end, with his forefinger and middle finger up her center. Eric hesitated. His wife had been a total non-backdoor kind of woman and he had little experience with this. He was concerned about hurting Sookie if he was too forceful. Bill patiently watched him and waited. Sookie's breathing had gotten heavier as she waited for the penetration she knew was coming.

The anticipation was killing everyone, so Eric just went for it. He gently pushed his thumb up her bottom while putting his two fingers in her pussy as well. The effect was immediate. Sookie moaned loudly and seemed to be trying to arch her bottom up. "Mo, ease , mo, ewic!" came a guttural cry from deep in Sookie's gut. It took Eric a second to realize she was addressing him and not Bill. She was saying, "More, please, more, Eric".

Eric obliged. His left hand was buried deep in her hot bottom, so he pulled out a little then pushed back inside. With the gel getting spread around, his thumb was able to slide in and out of her tight hole fairly well. And her pussy was clutching his long fingers in desperation, fearful of his leaving. Bill let go of her cheeks and sat back motioning for Eric to keep it up. So Eric continued, picking up the pace, and fucking Sookie two ways with his hand. Her hips rocked back and forth as she panted in time.

While this was going on, Bill crept up towards Sookie's head. "Oh Sookie, look at you, drooling all over the floor. You naughty girl, you like Eric pumping your tight little hole, don't you?" he said, his cool voice dripping with sweetness.

"yes ill"

"You want him to hand fuck your naughty little holes until you cum, don't you Sookie?"

"Lease ill"

"You'll have to be patient, that isn't going to happen just yet. I'm going to ask you a question, but first I'll take off this gag. I think it's served its purpose. Make sure you remember your responses". Bill reached around her head and fumbled with the buckle a little, but got it off. Sookie let out a gasp as it came out of her mouth. There were some slurping sounds as she swallowed saliva that had been on the verge of dripping out. Her breathing was louder now that it wasn't muffled since Eric hadn't stopped moving his hand.

Bill leaned in closer to her face. "Sookie, I want an honest answer. Do you want to suck Eric's cock?"

Sookie was silent for a moment, obviously stunned by Bill's question. She wasn't the only one. Eric had stopped moving his hand, since he was shocked by what Bill was presenting to Sookie and what it might mean.

Sookie's responded softly, "Yes Bill".

"Well, let's see what Eric has to say about this". Bill straightened a bit and his brown eyes swiveled towards Eric. "Eric, you can refuse if you want to since this wasn't a part of our original discussion. It's entirely up to you. If you don't feel comfortable, that's fine, we'll move on to something else. Would you like Sookie to pleasure you orally?"

When Eric had originally agreed to this, it had seemed like a magic show where the audience member gets brought up on stage to hold the box to show it's real, right before the magician makes the rabbit disappear. Now he felt like someone being asked to trust the magician to saw him in half. That's what it came down to, trust. Eric heard himself say, "Yes Bill".

"Do you agree to follow my instructions exactly?"

Eric nodded, "I can do that".

Bill smiled broadly, "Go ahead and remove the glove. We're going to untie Sookie now, starting with the wrists". Eric snapped off the glove inside out and wrapped it inside the towel he'd used earlier. He and Bill made short work of the ropes holding Sookie in place. Bill put the Velcro cuffs on Sookie again, securing her hands behind her back Eric wound up the rope and handed it in a bundle to Bill. Sookie was manuveured back onto her knees, with her hands secured behind her. She was still blindfolded, but now her mouth was free of the gag. There were white streaks of candy residue around her lips and trailing down her chin.

Bill pulled what appeared to be a leash out of the toolbox and snapped it onto a metal loop on the cuffs. "Eric, go ahead and sit back down in your chair. You are not to move out of it until I give you permission to do so. Is that clear?"

Eric took a breath, "Yes, I understand. No moving out of the chair. Um…will I need to remove my pants?"

Chuckling a little at that comment, Bill said, "Well, yes, Sookie is good but even I don't think she can give you a successful blowjob through your pants". Sookie let out a little giggle at that and Eric joined her once he realized how his question had sounded.

Eric stood up and slid his pants and underwear down while Bill readjusted Sookie's position. Bill had shifted his chair so that it was directly facing Eric's and was leaning over pressing his face against Sookie's as she kneeled on the floor. Sookie was facing Eric, but of course couldn't see him with the blindfold. Bill was murmuring something into her ear as she nodded along.

Mr. Happy was ecstatic, having been released from his cotton/polyester prison. He was wagging all over the place, eager for events to come. Eric tried not to be embarrassed since he'd never been in front of another man in this condition. Bill glanced towards Eric while he was still whispering to Sookie and his eyes widened a little.

"Eric, you need to be careful", he said with a serious tone.

"What? What did I do or what do I need to avoid?" Eric asked, looking around wondering what he'd done wrong.

"You'll poke someone's eye out with that thing", Bill declared completely serious.

Eric burst out laughing, completely caught off guard by Bill's dry humor. He knew he was much larger than average and was very glad Bill wasn't going to have some kind of insecurity issue with it. Sookie sat on her knees, smiling a huge smile with the white candy around her lips. Apparently, she remembered Eric's proportions from when they had dated.

Some things are just unforgettable.

He felt much more relaxed now and shifted around on the chair. Bill said he needed to stay on the chair, but not how. He moved forward so his balls would hang off a bit and spread his legs. It seemed Sookie was going to keep the blindfold and Eric wanted to help her "find her way" as easily as possible. "May I speak directly with her?" Eric asked.

"Yes, as long as you don't move off the chair," Bill responded, "Let's begin. Sookie, what is it you want to do to Eric?"

Sookie took a breath, "I want to suck his cock Bill".

"Then what do you say?"

"Please, may I suck Eric's cock? I want it in my mouth, please? Pretty please, Bill?" She asked sweetly.

Eric thought that was a pretty nicely done request. Bill wasn't going to make it that easy of course.

"You're a very naughty girl Sookie. If you want that cock in your mouth so badly, you're going to have to prove it. Let's see how much you want it. Crawl towards Eric as hard as you can. You'll have to pull against me. And I'm going to crop that pink bottom of yours while you do since I'm appalled at your wanton, slatternly behavior".

The first thing that popped into Eric's head was, who the hell uses the word "slattern" anymore? And two, when Bill decided on a theme, he really stuck to it. Eric felt a little aggravated, but most of that was driven by the large pink cock stiffly waving in front of him. He was curious to see Sookie "prove" how badly she wanted Eric's cock. A tiny manly part of him was excited at seeing a woman display her intense desire for his cock in her mouth. And Eric had a feeling Bill knew he would feel this way.

Bill let Sookie go and she started crawling blindly toward Eric. Eric noticed Bill had the leash looped tightly around his left hand. Since most of Bill's disability seemed to be concentrated on the left side for now, that gave Sookie an advantage. Bill had retrieved the heart crop, and had it gripped tightly in his right hand. Unlike earlier, when he had simply flicked his wrist, this time he raised his whole arm and came down on Sookie's bottom.

SNAP! SNAP!

Sookie jumped a little and crawled faster. Eric jumped into the fray, "This way Sookie. Follow my voice… a little to your left…there you go". She got within a couple feet and Bill yanked back, her arms getting elevated off her back as she pushed forward with her knees and Bill leaned back gripping the leash. The bells were jingling wildly as this bizarre version of Tug O War went on in front of Eric.

Her socks were hurting her since she couldn't dig her feet into the carpet without sliding. She had to use her knees entirely. "Come on Sookie, you can do it!" Eric cried encouragingly.

This was totally nuts and so much more fun than Eric had imagined.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! "Sookie, I guess you don't want his cock as much as you claim I guess. Don't you want it?" Bill badgered.

"Yes Bill, I want it! I want his cock right now! Please, let me suck it!" Sookie gritted her teeth, panting a little as she continued pulling.

Eric was pleased to see a vein in Bill's forehead starting to bulge a little. Sookie was impressing the hell out of him. She had muscles in her legs that Eric hadn't even realized were there. Bill seemed to release the leash a little and Sookie lunged forward, her nose running into Eric's balls. Her open mouth eagerly sought out its target. Eric grabbed his shaft and directed his cock into her waiting mouth.

They both let out moans at the same time. Eric held his penis in place, so Sookie could more easily work on it. He was mesmerized watching her mouth voraciously suck him down. And was she making yummy noises? The suction, the pulling, the warmth, and a quick tongue rubbing the ridge around the head was an overload of sensations. His mouth hung open as he watched, knowing he wouldn't last long.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! Bill came down on Sookie's bottom as she attacked Eric's cock with a vengeance. She hardly seemed to notice the cropping he was giving her. If anything, it was amping up her pleasure. She arched her bottom up like she was encouraging him to crop her some more. Bill smiled as he said "Look at you!" SNAP! "You naughty,naughty girl!" SNAP! "wanton hussy!" SNAP! "Inhaling that big cock, you want to swallow his cum do you?" SNAP!

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

Bill gritted his teeth and yanked Sookie back. Her mouth gave a "pop" as she was pulled off Eric's cock. Eric cried, "No!" without thinking, and started arching himself off the chair before he remembered his promise. He plopped himself back down. His wet, reddened, now engorged cock looked angry at the interruption. Which wasn't too far off.

Sookie dug in her knees and kept going forward. "Please Bill! Please! I want his big cock in my mouth! I want to suck him all night! Please Bill Please!" Bill couldn't crop her since he was now having to use both hands to hold his wife back. Eric thought he was going to cum even without her mouth on him. The excitement of watching Sookie, her large sweaty breasts heaving, thighs trembling, and her cry of "sucking him all night" was just doing him in.

It was every man's dream for a woman to want his cock this much. Eric was practically dizzy with lust and desire for Sookie's mouth. Eric reminded himself he was allowed to speak, "Sookie, you're so beautiful. I love your mouth on my cock. Please suck it! Make me cum, please! I want it! My cock wants it! Please come to me!"

Damn, it was a good thing no one was recording this. This way Eric could deny he said all this later.

Eric's encouragement gave Sookie new strength as she grunted with effort. Bill had both feet dug in the carpet while he was holding her. Finally, he laughed and shook his head. He relaxed the leash again, so Sookie could reach Eric. He let out an "oh God" as her hot mouth surrounded his cock again. Again, he held it still since she didn't have use of her hands. Bill was holding the leash taut, but had ceased pulling. Sookie had won it seemed. Pulling the crop out, he started laying into her bottom though.

"Sookie, since you're determined to be a naughty girl, I'm going to crop your bottom until you make Eric cum", Bill declared with a crooked smirk.

Wow, talk about stress. Now Eric understood better what male porn actors go through. Sookie, for her part, was ignoring Bill's actions. Her head kept bobbing up and down as she sucked and licked Eric into a state of oblivion. He kept his head bowed, staring at the blindfolded, Santa hat, Sookie head moving up and down as he felt his climax building. The familiar warmth, tightness thru his scrotum and his thighs started quivering with anticipation.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

Unexpectedly, Sookie went deep and his cock hit the back of her throat. She slid back and sucked harder. Eric's body went rigid, his jaw hung slack and he cried out, "OH! OOOOHHH GOD!" Releasing into her mouth, Eric's body shuddered with pleasure as she continued pulling and swallowing his cum. He bent over her, leaning his hands on her shoulders as he shook with little aftershocks. She knelt with her cheek resting on his thigh, as they both gulped for air.

He could hear the clicking sound of the leash being removed from Sookie's cuffs. Bill walked up behind Sookie, straddling her feet. Gently pulling on her shoulders, he drew her upright on her knees and slid the blindfold down so it hung around her neck. Putting his hand under her chin, he tilted her head back so she was looking directly up at him with the back of her head leaning against his stomach.

Bill's hands traced his wife's cheeks with his thumb as he looked down upon her. "Sookie, I'm going to ask you again. Are you a nice girl or a naughty girl?" He asked gently. Eric sat back in his chair, sweaty and nervous about what else might happen stemming from Sookie's answer.

Sookie gazed up into her husband's eyes and answered softly, "I'm a naughty girl Bill, a very naughty girl. I liked Eric's fingers fucking me. I liked sucking his big cock".

"How did you feel about drinking his cum?"

"I loved it", she answered with a smile.

"You know what naughty girls get for Christmas don't you?" Bill asked.

Eric held his breath.

"No Bill, I don't".

"Anything their heart desires", Bill replied with a soft chuckle and with that, he leaned forward and kissed his wife upside down on her mouth. "I love you so much", he continued softly.

"I love you too"

"Would you like to cum now?"

Sookie gave a huge grin at this question, "Yes PLEASE!"

"Your wish is my command", Bill said, giving her another quick kiss on the forehead. He straightened up and looked at Eric, who had almost collapsed with relief at this exchange. "Eric, would you like to do the honors? Or shall I?"

"I'd love to Bill", Eric answered.

Bill laughed at this response and removed the cuffs with a ripping noise. He gestured towards Sookie, who turned and crawled the few feet back to Bill's wheelchair. Her bottom was really red from the cropping. Eric was surprised she'd managed to concentrate on pleasuring him while it was going on.

With a sigh, she lay down on her back in front of Bill's wheelchair. Bill sat in it with her head almost between his feet. She held up each wrist as he used Velcro cuffs to secure her hands to the front supports of the chair. Bill gestured towards Eric to come over. He handed him additional cuffs that were for her ankles apparently. Once Eric had those on her, Sookie raised each leg so the ankle cuffs could be secured with the wrist cuffs.

She was now lying with her feet up near her shackled hands, completely spread out. Her red bottom hovered off the carpet a little with her pussy still swollen and shiny from all the excitement.

Eric kneeled down in front of her, running his hands gently down her legs and touching her bottom with his fingertips. Sookie met his eyes, looking relaxed with a little smile on her face. It was absurd, but she was making him more comfortable with the situation.

Then a rain of red came drifting down like snowflakes.

Bill had opened the green florist box. It was full of red rose petals that he was now sprinkling all over Sookie's body and around her. Their pungent scent filled the air mixing with the smell of Sookie's sex.

If Eric was twenty years old, he'd have been hard again. But as it was, Mr. Happy was still in a state of blissful afterglow and would stay that way for a little while longer. He let himself down on the floor, lying on his stomach and propping with one elbow. Since Sookie's pussy was all spread out for him, he wouldn't need to use his fingers for that.

He glanced up for a second to see Bill was using the roses from the coffee table to drag along Sookie's body. Sookie closed her eyes and licked her lips as the silky petals lightly drifted along her stomach and over her breasts. Now was as good a time as any to start.

Eric leaned his head in and started with one very long lick right up her center. A small "oh" escaped Sookie's mouth. She was already so close; this was going to be easy. He wanted to make her cum so badly, he could taste it, and he would. Smiling to himself, he started licking in between her folds. Because his arms were so long, he stretched his hands up and started kneading her breasts. Her breathing picked up as he gripped her, and ran his thumbs over her nipples.

"Yes Eric, yes…ah….more..please ..more", Sookie breathed. Hips started rocking and the bells started jingling as her feet were kicking a bit from her arousal. Eric picked up the pace, licking more rapidly. When he fluttered his tongue over her swollen clit, he thought she was going to cum right there. He ran his tongue around and around her clit as she jerked and moaned. Finally, he opened his mouth wide and clamped down around her swelling as he sucked.

Sookie was panting and her body tense. He brought one hand back down and slid three fingers into the wet heat between her legs. Sucking and rolling his tongue against her clit, he felt the clenching begin around his fingers.

Then it happened. Her whole body froze, her vaginal walls gripped, and she shook so hard the bells wouldn't stop ringing. She made no sound since it appeared she had stopped breathing.

Her whole body relaxed as she took in great gulps of air in the aftermath of her Eric induced climax. Eric rested his head on her belly as it rose and fell. He had forgotten that Bill was even in the room when he heard his voice.

Bill leaned over, his salt and pepper hair shiny in the lamp light as he gazed down into his wife's eyes. "Did you enjoy that sweetheart?" He asked. He reached down and gently stroked her face as she looked back up at him.

She nodded, "Oh yes!"

"I think it's time for a shower, don't you think?"

She nodded again, appearing to still be a little out of breath.

"Eric, would you like to join us?" Bill asked, "The rule is that whoever submits, gets a really thorough bathing afterward". He emphasized "thorough" in a way that made it sound very inviting. Eric thought about it for a second and realized he was being ridiculous after everything he had already done.

"Okay, sounds good", Eric replied.

"Could you do me a favor and carry Sookie to our master bathroom please?"

"Of course Bill, no problem", Eric said. Given the hard workout Sookie had endured, that was the least he could do. Eric pulled the restraints off Sookie, leaned over and picked her up. He felt a little silly carrying her while he was bottomless, but then realized it was absurd developing modesty now.

The light was already on in the master bathroom from Sookie using it earlier. It was quite large over 14ft square at least. There was muted cream tile everywhere, and dark wood cabinetry. A double sink vanity with full mirrors across it from granite top to ceiling reflected the entire room. The toilet stood in its own enclosed water closet and it had a large tub and a very large shower.

The shower was interesting since it had no door or curtain. Instead, glass block curved around in front of it blocking the view and any drafts. As Eric carried Sookie into the shower he noticed the floor sloping into it. He assumed this was to make it wheelchair friendly if needed. The shower had two heads and tiled benches on either side with little cubbies for soap and shampoo. Shiny support bars lingered next to the entrance and next to each bench. The practical design had Bill's name all over it.

He gently set Sookie down on one of the benches. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She winced a little as her bottom made contact with the tile. Otherwise, she seemed a little subdued. "I'm floating I think", she replied and giggled a little. Eric just shook his head at her seeming a little punchy. He quickly pulled his shirt off and yanked the Christmas socks off her feet. The bells took a second since he was having trouble seeing the buckle and neither he nor Sookie had their glasses on.

Bill stepped into the shower already naked and moving slowly. His left arm was trembling a bit. The Tug O War with Sookie must have taken a lot out of him. He got the shower head turned on to a nice hot temperature and sat down on the bench next to Sookie.

Eric pointed at Sookie lolling next to Bill, "Is she alright?"

"She tends to get like this after a session. It's the endorphin buzz.", Bill answered, "She'll be fine. Would you like to help me bath her?"

Well, that was a stupid question.

Lathering up his hands, Eric crouched down in front of Sookie and started running his hands along her legs. She leaned against Bill's shoulder, her eyes closed and contentment glowing from her face. It was hard to believe she had been the sexy little demon from earlier.

"Mmmmm, wonderful", she said with a slight smile playing across her lips.

"That works for you?" Eric asked.

"It definitely works for me".

Bill straightened up and pushed Sookie so she was sitting more at an angle on the bench. "Here Eric, you continue and I'll do her hair".

Eric was happy to do so. He kept lathering his hands and ran them up her legs, across her belly, down her arms and he made sure to get her breasts extra clean. She had her head tilted back so Bill could soap her hair thoroughly. Eric was amazed at the lack of self consciousness and awkwardness he was experiencing. It was the exact opposite of how he would expect to be feeling. Maybe he had a little endorphin buzz going too. Or maybe it was just being with two people who knew him well, cared about him, and didn't judge him.

Maybe it was just getting his rocks off.

Slowly standing up so Eric could reach the back of her and Bill could rinse her hair, Sookie gave Eric a studied look, "So, how did you feel about everything? Was it what you were expecting? Any surprises? Anything bother you?".

He gave it a second's thought while he lathered up her back and down her still reddish butt. "I feel pretty good overall. No offense, but I was expecting to feel a little disgusted at some point, but that never happened. It really is just a game isn't it? Like a role playing game from when you're a kid…only with sex". Sookie's laughter echoed in the tiled shower, drowning out the steady stream from the showerhead.

"So nothing bothered you?"

Eric spoke slowly, "Well, I was concerned when Bill ordered you into the snow".

"Oh, I wanted to kill him at that moment, let me tell you!"

Bill piped up, "Notice I put the restraints back on her BEFORE I told her she had to go outside as punishment. I'm not stupid".

"Have I really done that three times? Forgotten to go to the bathroom before playing? Sookie asked, as she glanced down at her husband.

"Actually, I think you've done it six times", Bill said as he started lathering himself up.

"That many?" she exclaimed, "Are you sure?"

"And you always do it when you're submitting, so I was a little peeved with you. You know how hard it is to get a good pace going and when it gets interrupted…"

"I'm sorry Bill, I had no idea. I'm not doing it on purpose", Sookie implored.

"Well, you won't forget now, will you?" Bill smiled and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess you're right about that", she shook her head ruefully.

"Oh, I just thought of something that really did bother me!" Eric interrupted.

Both Bill and Sookie got quiet and waited.

"I was very disappointed I didn't get to see you in some kinky shoes. What's the word Bill used? Oh yes…slatternly? What century is this Bill?" Eric did some eyebrow raising too.

Sookie giggled to the point of sounding delirious, while Bill defended himself, " Hey! The theme was naughty and nice, not call your wife a slutty bitch ho. This isn't a rap video".

"You stuck to your theme alright", Eric smirked and Bill just snorted in response.

Sookie held her stomach and calmed down enough to answer the original question, "Actually, I usually am barefoot when submitting because my movements are restricted and it's easier to keep my balance. When I'm dominating I do wear the type of shoes you're probably thinking about".

"So you own some?" Eric asked hopefully.

"Yes"

"If it's not too presumptuous, I'd like to see some before I leave".

"Maybe if you're good", she winked.

"I thought you liked me when I was a little bad", Eric winked back.

"Same thing", she answered.

"If you two are done flirting, I need to get under the showerhead so I don't get soap in my eyes", Bill dryly chimed in.

Eric laughed and back up, as Sookie sprang forward hugging Bill, "I'm sorry sweetie! I loved your theme!" She gave him a big noisy smooch. Bill smiled down at her as he stood, "It's nice that SOMEONE appreciates my efforts".

"I appreciate you Bill!" and Eric leaned forward and gave Bill an even noisier smooch on his forehead, much to Sookie's amusement.

Bill looked like he was starting to blush a little, "Oh for goodness sake".

"HEY! I just remembered, you two never finished telling me about how you ended up passed out in a bunk bed together", Sookie said, her eyes slitting with determination.

"Alright, I'll tell you", Eric said.

"So much for the vow of silence we made"

"Oh Bill, get over it. It was a long time ago", Eric replied exasperated. Sookie sat back down on the bench with a little wince, crossed her legs and sat up straight eagerly awaiting the story. "It's not that big of a deal. You and Bill had a disagreement I think and he called me to go out drinking".

Sookie rolled her eyes, "So, you're going to try and make this my fault are you?"

"That's not a bad idea. Anyway, we went drinking, got hammered and went back to my dorm room. My roommates were out and somehow we ended up in my upper bunk".

"To this day I still don't know how we did that. I have no recollection at all", Bill mused.

"Well, with the size of the bed and me being so big, we were kind of draped over each other I guess. My roommates came back and found us like that".

Sookie had a huge, impish smile on her face looking from man to man during this tale. Bill slumped back against the tile, with a resigned expression.

"My roommates proceeded to do what most college students do when they find their friends passed out. They started messing with us and taking pictures. Someone had a Polaroid camera of all things".

"It was that Goddamn Japanese kid down the hall, I'm telling you", Bill interrupted.

Eric continued, "They put us into I guess what you would call "compromising positions", drew up signs and held them over our heads. I think one said "just married" and another said "gay pride". It was all pretty humiliating. We didn't even know any of this had occurred until the next day when I found a couple of the pictures taped to the front door of my dorm room. I immediately called Bill to warn him".

"Warn him?"

"You and he were having trouble. Something about his psycho exgirlfriend and he was worried you were going to break up with him. I was worried you'd find out about these photos and that would be the final straw. So we got together and came up with the Revenge Master Plan. We got all the photos back and burned them".

"What did you do to get them back?"

Eric looked at Bill who shook his head, "Statue of limitations hasn't run out yet I guess. It's best you don't know".

Sookie's eyes got really big, "Wow, that's wild", she turned towards Bill, "What was the problem we were having at the time?"

Bill sighed, "I think Lorena had called you and threatened you on the phone, told you a bunch of lies. You were just such an honest person and not used to dealing with someone like her, you were taking her at her word".

"Oh"

"Anyway, it doesn't matter now and she's in prison anyway", Bill said with a glint in his dark eyes.

"WHAT?" Eric and Sookie cried in unison.

"Attempted murder on her last husband when he tried to leave her, I was shocked but not surprised. I used the service that I use for background checks on new employees. She said some things to me in college that made me wonder if she might just pop up one of these days, so I've kept tabs on where she is".

Sookie gave Bill a hard look, "You've never told me about this. We're going to talk about this later". Bill nodded and sighed with resignation. "We need to get out of this shower, I'm turning all pruney". They turned off the water, got towels and walked out of the steamy shower. Eric made a mental note to ask Bill later about building one of these "walk in" showers. It was pretty convenient.

Bill had disappeared into the living room to clean up a little. Sookie took Eric's hand and led him into their bedroom which was dimly lit. "We're all having such a good time," she said, "Come sleep with us. It'll be like the sleepovers we had in college".

"Is someone going to light farts? Make Long Island Ice Tea? Play Quarter Shots?" Eric asked with a laugh.

"You never know", Sookie replied, "Isn't that the fun part? Not knowing?"

Eric thought for a second. Tomorrow evening he'd be flying into Boston and he would get to spend over three days with his baby girl, Pam. Then he would fly back to Chicago to an empty condo and stacks of legal briefs at work. Why not?

"I think I get your point", Eric answered as he followed her to the King sized bed.

They climbed naked into the big soft bed. Sookie flopped onto her back in the middle as Eric settled himself on his side looking at her. He rested his head into the fluffy pillow and shoved his arm under it, getting comfortable. Peering with his one visible eye, he watched Sookie's chest rise and fall as she breathed. She looked back at him with a smirk. "Out with it Northman", she ordered.

He smiled as he answered, "There was something that really surprised me from all this. I enjoyed what I did with you tonight. It was really something, but I started wondering what it would be like to ..um….".

"Be on the other side of the restraints so to speak?" She asked knowingly.

"Yeah, I never in a hundred years would have even dreamt that I would consider something like that, but I guess…it's different because it's you". Eric wasn't sure how this sounded. He didn't want to sound love struck, like he wanted her to run away with him, but he had been intrigued.

"Intrigued were we?" she said, like she was reading his mind, "We might be able to try it if you want".

"How would Bill feel about it? I don't want to step on any toes". Eric didn't know if Bill had only intended for this to be one time or not. And Bill had requested Eric's help for Sookie's submission.

"Bill has probably already figured it out. Did you realize he got you to willingly submit to him towards the end?"

"What?"

"You willingly suffered with me in the snow and you obeyed his order to stay in your chair during the Tug O War", Sookie smirked.

"That bastard, I didn't even realize it!" Eric exclaimed.

Sookie giggled, "That's what a good Dom does, they get you willingly doing things you never thought you would do and submitting your will to theirs. Once he realized you were going to do what you promised at the beginning..well..it's a very slippery slope from there". The expression on Eric's face made her hastily add, "It's not sexual you know. There can be a sexual element, but there doesn't have to be. Dominating another person is just about power really and for Bill it was very empowering I'm sure".

Eric calmed down as he pondered her words. Bill had been forced to turn over control of a company he founded. He was no longer completely able to control his own body and it was going to get worse. He had needed Eric's help in dominating his wife. Getting someone like Eric to submit to him had probably been very satisfying to him, so Eric resolved to just get over it.

Sookie watched him for a minute, then continued again, "And this turned out a lot better than even he planned I think. I don't think it could have turned out better because we're all just so comfortable with each other, you know?"

Eric nodded in agreement, "May I kiss you goodnight? We did all this kinky stuff, but I never got a normal boring kiss".

"Of course, you may have a normal boring goodnight kiss".

Eric leaned over her gently touching his lips to hers, pressing, probing with his tongue a little. Her breathing hitched a little, as she opened her mouth and the kiss deepened.

"I can't leave you two alone for ten minutes can I?" Bill asked as he walked into the bedroom. Eric felt a stab of guilt as he watched Bill slowly shuffling towards the bed, turn off the bedside lamp and climb in. He probably should have been helping Bill clean up the living room rather than lolling about in bed with Sookie.

Bill leaned over his wife and exchanged a few slow kisses with her. He murmured to her and she nodded along. He leaned back into a couple pillows he had propped against the headboard.

The only light in the room was from a small lamp in the master bathroom. Sookie looked like she was drifting off already. Both men lay quietly watching her chest moving as her breathing got deeper.

"I forgot she falls asleep so fast", Eric commented.

"Airplane, car, waiting rooms, doesn't matter, she can fall asleep if she's tired", Bill said, "I heard part of your conversation with her".

"You know, it's not important. I don't know why I brought it up, don't worry about it", Eric felt uncomfortable now that he realized what he was asking of Bill.

Bill studied him and said, "Its okay. We can try it if you want. Tonight was a very enjoyable experience for all of us and it's worth a try".

"It's amazing that you allowed her to do what she did with me tonight".

"I told you, I love my wife without conditions. And as long as we're all involved in these experiences I think it would work out fine".

Bill had drawn the line regarding restrictions. He was basically saying that Eric and Sookie could play, but not on their own. Eric didn't blame him and that sounded fair. Bill had already watched Eric cum into Sookie's mouth so really what difference would it make? It would be nice to have something exciting to look forward to for a change. He hadn't had that for a couple years, other than seeing his daughter's maturing into a vibrant young woman. And he knew he wasn't ready to get serious about anyone just yet.

"That sounds good Bill, we can talk about it some more later".

"Very good, and Eric"?

"Yes"?

"Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas to you too Bill".

THE END (for now)

* * *

_Anyone need a cigarette? LOL!_

_I have a personal request: I love feedback that allows me to understand how others see what I'm writing(as opposed to how I see it) This story felt alot like a play since it mostly takes place in the house with 3 people. It's very character driven. In building them I kept a few things in mind. I saw Sookie as becoming more like Gran as she got older and lost som eof those immature tendencies of hers. Bill would lose some of his stiffness from being with her so long , he'd be more relaxed /happy. Eric was tough, Vampireeric still acts like a man in his early 20's in a lot of ways, so I forwarded him 25 yrs, gave him personal love/responsibilities , and the suffering of watching his life'smate slowly die for two years. Did these characters come across that way? Did their motivations make sense? Granted its a weird situaiotn,but did it seem believable that they would behave this way? _

_I would love to know how all this came across. I need it for my own edification and I'm always trying to improve my writing. Thank you all so much! _


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N Charlaine Harris owns everything. I own nothing,nada, zero, zip, zilch. _

_I told you I'd get back to this story. I was watching a cooking show and the idea popped in my head. Plus I think it's time Sookie got to be in charge of the boys for a while. *smile* The apron she's wearing is like the one that Gran wore on TB. I just loved that apron. _

_For those of you patiently waiting for a Nesting Instincts update, I've been working on it and have a few thousand words in, but it's been a struggle. I changed my mind about a few things, had to re-outline it , and Eric's Dad is giving me fits. So, I'm sorry about the wait. _

_In case anyone has forgotten: this contains mature sexual material of a bdsm nature. Hopefully, the censorship nazi's are taking an Easter vacation somewhere. _

_It's now Christmas day, the morning after Bill's little Naughty Nice Game. _

* * *

Eric woke up Christmas morning to the smell of coffee and the worst singing he had ever heard.

"OH THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL, BUT THE FIRE IS SO DELIGHTFUL. AND SINCE WE"VE NO PLACE TO GO, LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!" Sookie bellowed at the top of her lungs.

She had Bill pinned down, with the blankets wrapped around his torso, so he couldn't move his arms. She straddled his chest, still naked, blaring in his face. Bill turned his face away as best he could, a tortured expression drawn across his narrow face.

"Darling PLEASE! Not this year!" Bill pleaded to no avail. His eyes begged Eric for help, but that was a waste of time because Eric had already stuffed his head under two pillows to muffle the assault to his ears. Sookie continued into the next verse.

"IT DOESN'T SHOW SIGNS OF STOPPING. AND I'VE BOUGHT SOME CORN FOR POPPIN'. THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED WAY DOWN LOW. LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!"

Eric was hoping it was over, but he'd forgotten there were two more verses and Sookie knew them both.

Finally, blessed silence drenched the room with the glad tidings of a top quality air freshener.

Eric peeked out from under his pillows, "Is it over?"

Sookie was laughing as she rubbed her nose against Bill's pained face. "Yes, its safe now". And with that, she clamored out of the big bed, went out the door, and started banging around in the kitchen, as the two men sighed with relief.

"Shit, that was brutal. Does she do that every year?"

"Yes, she does. It's really the only thing she does that's ever made me think of divorcing her".

"Well, Christmas is only once a year", Eric pointed out.

"True. It's ironic that I've allowed my wife to whip and paddle me, but the most sadistic thing she's ever done is bray in my face with her morning breath on Christmas morning", Bill commented, "Thanks for helping me by the way".

"Sorry Compton, something that awful, it's every man for himself. I know how to look out for number one".

"Damn, you're ruthless".

"Hell yeah", Eric said, "I'm a lawyer". Both men laughed.

Eric looked around Bill and saw that a small table had been moved next to the bed. It had a tray on it with traveling coffee mugs, with spoons, sugar and a creamer. Bill sat up and reached for them, "How do you like your coffee?" After fixing it, he handed Eric the travel mug. It was a great idea, using a travel mug in bed so you didn't have to worry about spilling it.

Sookie walked back in with another tray that she set on the end of the big bed. She crawled back between the two men, then dragged the tray after her. Eric held it while she worked herself back under the covers and got her pillows situated against the headboard. Her bottom was back to its normal color he noticed.

As she sat with the tray on her lap, Sookie leaned over giving her husband a kiss, "Merry Christmas my cranky old husband". She patted his cheek, then pinched it.

Bill gazed into her eyes with amusement," And Merry Christmas to you, my sadistic, naughty wife". Sookie giggled at that.

She turned towards Eric and gave him a quick kiss also, "Merry Christmas Eric. I'm so glad you could spend it with us".

"Me too", Eric gave her a one armed hug and kissed her on the cheek as well.

"Oops!" Sookie laughed, "Look what I did! I got my boobs in the melon balls!"

Since she was pointing it out, Eric looked. Her large breasts were hanging down enough to have gotten in a bowl on the tray that was filled with bite sized fresh fruit, including melon balls.

"That just adds flavor", Eric quipped, "Don't worry about it".

"To what? The fruit or my boobs?" Sookie asked impishly raising her eyebrow.

"Both!" Eric answered with a wink. Her large nipples were now shiny and wet from the fruit's juices.

"You should lick Sookie's nipples clean", Bill interjected, his dark eyes peering at Eric over his coffee mug.

Eric was a trifle irked. Damn Bill for 1. reading his mind and 2. ordering him to do something he definitely wanted to do. Eric was still a little edgy from Sookie's pointing out how Bill got him submitting the night before. He looked at Sookie, who was sitting there with her mouth still open from Bill's suggestion/order. Raising an eyebrow of his own, his face was a question.

Sookie responded by leaning back against the headboard, holding Eric's gaze with her own. She slid one hand into Bill's available one. Bill kissed her knuckles softly as he observed. Eric set his coffee on the nightstand next to him, and leaned in towards Sookie. Trying not to get his hair in the food on the tray, he ran his lips gently against her rising chest. He blew air against the nipple, then clamped his whole mouth on it. Sucking powerfully, he swirled his tongue around the nipple, soaking up the citrusy juices.

"Oh my stars", Sookie sighed as she took a couple deep breaths. Bill was whispering something in her ear, but Eric couldn't hear what it was. He shifted to the other breast, which made Sookie squirm in her seat. Once he was done sucking, he gave the pointy peak a little baby kiss. Sitting back smugly, he picked his coffee back up and took a sip.

"Like I said, adds to the flavor", Eric smirked as he admired Sookie's blushing face. She was so cute when she blushed.

Looking a little flustered, she held up a basket covered with a towel, "Would you like a muffin?"

"Yes please, I love muffins. I'll dive into one of those any day", Eric smiled. Sookie's face got an even deeper shade of red. Considering everything they had done with night before, Eric thought it was a hoot that Sookie was embarrassed by something so simple.

They spent the next few minutes organizing little plates, large cloth napkins, muffins, and the fruit. The muffins were little ones that you could almost pop in your mouth. Sookie had made two kinds, a blueberry (with fresh berries) and another one that Eric couldn't figure out.

"These are fantastic! What's in them?" he asked.

"They're White Chocolate Rasberry Cheesecake muffins", she replied, "And they are soooo bad for you".

"Who cares?" Eric snorted, as he popped another one in his mouth and washed it down with the hot coffee.

"They're a little too sweet for me", Bill said "I prefer the blueberry ones".

That was fine with Eric, more of the other ones for him. He checked out the bite sized fruit. There were melon balls, strawberries, apple chunks, chopped orange slices, grapes and some kiwi. He popped a few of those in his mouth as well. Sitting back with a contented sigh, he looked over at Sookie and asked, "When did you have time to do all this?"

"Yesterday afternoon, when you two were asleep", she responded and took a sip of her coffee.

"Shit, how long were we asleep? A year?"

Sookie snorted and almost blew coffee out of her nose. Clapping her hand over her mouth, she tried not to make a mess while Bill clucked at her and dabbed her with the big napkin.

Bill answered for her, "When Sookie gets that assembly line going in the kitchen she can grind out goods faster than Ford makes cars".

"I'll say", Eric said, "when I was helping her yesterday, I was afraid to turn my back. She might have stuffed me into one of those little green boxes and tied a ribbon around it".

"You two", Sookie laughed, shaking her head, "you just need someone to teach you some efficiency techniques".

"Oh and you're the expert?", Eric challenged.

"Darn right"

This little banter was interrupted by the phone ringing. Bill picked it up and looked at the screen. He handed it to Sookie saying, "Take it in the hallway and close the door….please".

Sookie climbed out carefully again, this time leaving the tray sitting between the two men. Eric was curious on who it could be that Bill would order her out like that. It became obvious as soon as the door closed. Sookie started bellowing Let It Snow all over again. The excellent door muffled most of the ugly sounds.

"Adele?" Eric speculated. Bill nodded in reply. "Wow, she tortures the kid too huh?"

"Oh yes", Bill replied, "Adele gets to share in the agony".

"Aren't you two the lucky ones?" Eric teased. Bill just chuckled. They sat quietly eating and drinking. The ungodly noise out in the hallway died away. All was peaceful now, as Christmas should be.

Eric studied the bedroom as he ate. Where as the main living areas were a hybrid child of Bill and Sookie's tastes, this room was all Sookie. A warm, golden yellow color on the walls glowed in the morning sun that was reflecting off the melting snowscape outside the window. He could hear the dripping of the ice off the eaves. The bed was a King of course, otherwise the three of them wouldn't have been able to fit. The linens and draperies were various shades of soft blues in a damask pattern. The furniture was a stained medium cherry color. There were more paintings on the walls, mostly landscapes and some water scenes. He noticed a number of framed photographs on the dressers and on a wall leading to a walk in closet.

The sheets were a very high thread count if his bare posterior's opinion was any indication. He relaxed against the pillows, amazed and amused at how comfortable he was lying naked in bed with Bill sitting naked three feet away.

"This is nice", he said, "breakfast in bed and all that".

Bill snorted a little, "Don't think this is the norm. The norm is Sookie yelling from the kitchen for me to get my lazy butt out of bed before the breakfast she slaved over turns cold".

"Don't lie to me. You love it".

A tiny smile spread across Bill's face. "I guess I do"

"I know you do".

"You know, it would easier to agree with you, if you weren't so ….".

"Me?"

"Yeah…YOU", Bill laughed.

The bedroom door opened and Sookie came marching back in, "Here, your daughter wants to speak with you". Eric tried not to notice how nicely her breasts were swaying as she walked back to the bed. Bill accepted the phone as he slid out of the bed. Sookie snuggled herself into Bill's vacated spot. "Nice and warm", she said.

Bill spoke into the phone as he carefully walked out of the bedroom, "Merry Christmas sweetheart! Yes, I believe you're right. Your mother's singing does get worse every year". His low voice faded as he went down the hallway.

"Bill's daughter, huh?" Eric observed.

"Hey, I know my place. At the end of the day, she's Daddy's little girl", Sookie said with a smile.

Eric nodded knowingly, "I feel you. Pam and Aude were thick as thieves. The older Pam got, the more like buddies they became". He quieted down, thinking about this. Pam had looked at him right before the funeral and said, "You know, we've both lost our best friend". He smiled wanly at Sookie, "So now Pam is stuck with the second place parent".

"Eric, you're not a second place anything. That's absurd. What you've experienced is horrible and difficult. It's going to be difficult for some time. You have to rebuild what you thought your life was going to be and that includes your relationship with Pam. You'll figure it out. Give it time", Sookie spoke gently, but with a firmness in her voice that backed up her words.

"Spoken like a therapist", he said without thinking.

Sookie lay there on her side, with her head braced on her hand. She just looked at him quietly and said nothing. Her blue eyes matched the steel blue color in the bedspread he noticed.

"I'm sorry. That was rude. You're just trying to help and I'm being an ass", he said as apologetically as he could. He reached out and put his hand over her extended one.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Eric. Please just give yourself time", she repeated. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"You know, I'm not a real religious person, but I thank God I ran into you at the airport. I can't imagine how I'd be feeling right now if I had checked into a hotel room while waiting for my flight. I'm so grateful". And Eric realized he really was. If he had been forced to sit in a sterile airport hotel room on Christmas Eve, much less most of Christmas day, he would have been in a very dark place. This would not have contributed in a positive way to his visit with Pam.

"The feeling is likewise", Sookie agreed, "This is our first Christmas without Adele here and I was dreading how Bill was going to be. You know how he tends to keep his concerns to himself. He tries to shelter me, which irritates me to no end, but that's Bill. Having you here really helped keep our minds off of her not being here and we've enjoyed having you". She hesitated a little. "And I'm not just talking about the stuff we did last night, although that was fun too".

"Well, I enjoyed having you too", Eric said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

Sookie rolled her eyes and laughed, "Does that badboy switch ever go in the OFF position?"

"Not that I'm aware of", Eric pretended to think really hard about it, "But if it does, I'll let you know".

"That will be a historic day", Sookie snickered. She sat back up and pulled her plate back onto her lap along with her coffee. Eric popped another muffin in his mouth. Damn they were good. I'm making a pig of myself he thought. "Eric?"

"Yes?"

"Are you having any second thoughts about last night? Any regrets?"

He pondered for a moment before answering, "Surprisingly no". A smile was spreading across his face, "It was fun, crazy, and silly. I would never have guessed that I would like something like that, but it probably has a lot to do with the fact I was doing it with you two. I don't think I could do something like that with a stranger".

"You know, I think I feel the same way. If Bill and I had done it with someone else I would have been so uncomfortable".

"Yeah, I hear you. The most awkward part for me was having Bill right there since its not like I've ever had another guy watching me …well you know".

Sookie's eyes crinkled as she smiled widely, "Yeah, I know. So, you're still interested in trying some more?"

"Yes", he said simply. Hey why not? They weren't hurting anyone. No one else would know.

"The sexual stuff we did was okay for you? You were comfortable with that?".

"Yeah, I felt okay with it, even with Bill watching. By the end, I was getting almost …nonchalant about it. It felt …natural".

"That's wonderful, I'm glad to hear it", Sookie said as her smile got even bigger. "How would you like me to kick your butt a little this morning?" she asked, with a girlish wink.

Eric sat in stunned silence, holding yet another mini-muffin in one hand and his coffee in the other. Bill slowly walked back in the room. He glanced at the two of them, "Okay, what did I miss?"

"He said yes", Sookie said, taking a deep, satisfying gulp of her coffee. She beamed happily at Bill.

Bill's brown eyes shifted back towards Eric with a hint of surprise and speculation. "You look like you just got caught in Sookie's headlights. Are you okay with this?"

Since Eric wasn't sure what 'this' was yet, it was hard to say. "I'm not sure what I'm agreeing to yet", he answered honestly.

While he was popping the muffin in his mouth and polishing off his coffee, Bill climbed into the bed next to Sookie. "Well Sookie, don't you think he needs to know what your idea is?" he asked, sounding amused, "and I do too".

"Well…", she started, "I was thinking that since I have to make dinner anyway, that I could incorporate some playtime into its preparation".

Both men raised eyebrows at this statement. Eric looked at Bill, hoping for a clue, but Bill seemed as mystified as Eric. "Sweetheart, you're going to have to define the parameters a little better than that, especially since Eric needs to be sure its something he feels comfortable doing. Don't be shy about it. You know I won't be shocked by anything you say. If it's not workable for all of us, we'll figure out a compromise", Bill added gently.

Sookie reddened a little, "I was thinking that you could be my kitchen slave and Eric…um… is a new slave I just purchased. And I'll have you both prepare two dishes, with appropriate rewards and punishments based on how well you follow my directions". She twisted the comforter as she looked uncertainly down at her hands. "That's stupid isn't it? I can think of something else".

Wrapping his arms around his wife, Bill said, "I think it sounds like fun. We'll have to see how Eric feels". He looked at Eric over Sookie's shoulder.

He had helped Aude out in the kitchen from time to time, so Eric felt comfortable creating dishes, if they weren't too complicated. "I think I could handle that", he said, "But I have one question". Sookie nodded for him to continue. "Do I get to see you in some kinky shoes?"

Sookie laughed loudly as Bill snickered into her hair. "I'll even wear red ones. How's that?"

"Then I'm in", Eric declared, smiling as he polished off the rest of his coffee.

"Would you like to call Pam first before we get started?" Sookie asked.

"I'll be calling her later. She was very explicit about me not calling her early since she wanted to sleep in. She stayed over at a girlfriends place last night and she said they were sitting up watching old Christmas movies and doing Christmas Jello shots", Eric answered with a crooked smile. Sookie looked at him with a question mark on her face. "No, I don't know what Christmas Jello shots are either. I was just glad she wasn't going to go roaming around while she was drinking. At least she was safe in one place with her friends. That's smarter than I was in college".

They all just laughed at that, then they finished off the various breakfast items on their plates and cleared out of the bed. Remembering the night before, Eric went to the bathroom and made sure to brush his teeth as well. When he came out, he could hear Bill and Sookie talking softly to each other from within the walk in closet. "Hey", he called out, "What should I wear to this clambake anyway?"

"Oh, I think we've found something for you to wear", came Sookie's bright voice. Eric took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't end up looking like an outcast from the Village People. Bill came out holding what appeared to be a black leather studded belt with a strap that would go between the legs. There was a metal ring at the front that had to be a cock ring.

"Here, it's the only thing we have that's adjustable enough to fit you. I haven't worn it in years", Bill noticed Eric's hesitation, "Don't worry, we clean everything we use before we put it away. It was cleaned with hot water, soap and leather conditioner. If you don't feel comfortable with it, we'll figure out something else".

Eric felt better after what Bill had said. After all, at least he knew where this had been which is more than he could say for bowling shoes and hotel bedding. It had adjustable belts on both sides so it extended out to fit around Eric's waist. It also had a metal ring at the front. They both laughed as Bill tried to show Eric how to get the family jewels into the ring without Bill actually touching said family jewels.

Sookie's voice echoed from the closet again, "Does the ring fit?"

"Yes", Bill responded, "It's a good thing I changed it to the larger one". Eric eyed him at that comment. "I didn't want to have to go out in the garage and get the bolt cutters….again". Eric gave him a definite eyebrow raise at that. Bill shook his head at him, "You don't want to know. Are you comfortable?"

"I'm not sure how this is supposed to feel", he said. Adjusting the belt a bit, Eric moved the metal ring slightly. It wasn't comfortable like an old shoe kind of comfortable, but it didn't hurt or anything. His balls and cock were both circled by the cold metal ring which was very shiny steel and looked brand new. Bill watched him patiently. "It seems okay, I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just really aware of how snug it is".

Bill nodded agreeably, "Very good, that's how it should fit. When you become aroused, it's going to get very tight; but it shouldn't be horribly painful or anything. If it is, please let us know so we can get it off of you.

"So wearing this isn't supposed to be some kind of torture is it?"

Bill looked bemused, "No, it's supposed to make your body accessible to the Dom and remind you of your status during the scene. It may feel tormenting and frustrating, but it's not supposed to be a pain exercise. So, please don't get macho and stay silent if you're in agony, alright?"

"That sounds good to me", Eric was relieved.

"Also, we're going to keep this very simple with regards to safety words", Bill continued, "And since you've never done this before, Sookie has no way of knowing what your limits are since you don't know what they are yet. So she's going to check in with you periodically to make sure you're okay. When she asks you generally how you're doing you'll answer with a color. Green means everything is good and to keep going. Yellow means slow down. Orange means you want to stop and discuss what she's doing, but you want to continue the game. Red means stop, period. At that point, any restraints you're wearing will be removed immediately and anything she's doing to you will cease. Does that sound alright?"

"It seems pretty simple", Eric stated, "I think I can handle that". He couldn't imagine Sookie doing anything he couldn't deal with.

Bill's brown eyes gazed at him steadily and his demeanor got more serious, " In essence Eric, the submissive has the power even though the Dom is running the game. Please remember that, and don't try to keep up with something Sookie wants you to do if it's really upsetting you. The whole point is that everyone enjoys what's going on. It's like a dance. The sub submits to make the Dom happy, but the Dom is pushing the sub to make them happy as well. Not everyone tolerates the same things the same way, so don't push yourself too hard this time".

"In other words, don't try to run the Boston Marathon the first time out", Eric summed it up.

"Exactly".

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay. I mean, it's Sookie", Eric chuckled.

Bill gave him a sympathetic look, "Actually Eric, Sookie is a much rougher Dom than I am. Whatever you do, don't talk back to her or get smart. I'm not kidding. Now give me a minute, so I can get into my 'slave outfit'. When Sookie comes out, we'll start the game, okay?" Eric nodded, shuffling his feet nervously in anticipation. Bill's little talk had managed to freak him out a little, and now he wondered if he wasn't making a mistake.

After a couple minutes of agonizing and readjusting the belt and his balls for the fifth time he heard Sookie say, "Okay, let's get this show on the road".

She came striding out of the closet wearing the promised shoes. They were strappy, with a thick high heel, platformed, and red patent to boot. They went with her red painted toenails. They were perfect. His eyes moved up. Sookie was wearing a full kitchen apron of all things. It had a homey blue checked background with little red lobsters on it. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail on the back of her head and her glasses hung from around her neck. She did a slow spin so he could see the whole outfit.

She wasn't wearing anything under the apron.

The steel ring started to feel a little tight.

Bill came up behind her dressed in some type of black leather body harness that went over his shoulders, around his waist and between his legs as well. Instead of a plain ring, he was wearing some ungodly steel cage that snugly encased his penis with the ring wrapped tightly around his balls. And to top it all off, it had a lock on it. It looked scary as shit. He had his eyes down and walked carefully behind Sookie.

It was a lot to take in, so it took a minute for Eric to notice the paddle Sookie was carrying in her right hand. She eyed Eric in a speculative manner and said, "So, this is the new kitchen slave. We'll see if you're better than the last one. I have very high standards. We'll see if you can meet them".

Gone was the sweet, sexy submissive of the night before. Her voice sounded like it had gone down almost a full octave and her demeanor was completely different. With the apron, it was like looking at a kinky, scarier version of Martha Stewart.

Now Eric was afraid.

Very afraid.

TBC

* * *

_You didn't think I was going to put out that quickly did you? I'm not that nice. _

_Don't worry, you'll get some satisfaction in the next chapter, I promise. _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N As always, Charlaine Harris owns everything, I own nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch._

_Thank you all so much for your patience. I've been dealing with all sorts of personal BS that has interfered with my writing time and mindset. For those of you who follow my other work, I'm about 5000words into the next chapter of Nesting Instincts and should be updating it before the end of the week. I want to be able to sit down for Sunday night's TB premiere, then blab about it on the boards like everyone else with no guilt. LOL!_

_Reminder: this story has BDSM elements and as such contains some consensual kinky bits and violence._

_recap: it's still Xmas day, Sookie is the Dom in this scene, Bill is a kitchen slave and Eric is her new kitchen slave. The slaves are preparing a couple dishes a piece and they will be rewarded or punished depending on how well they prepare them. _

Mesmerized, Eric watched Sookie casually swing the long black paddle back and forth as she swept his body with her eyes. The belt and ring he was wearing made him feel more naked than if he had just been naked to begin with. Given what he'd learned so far, that was probably the point.

"What's your name?" Sookie asked with her deeper voice.

Okay, the game was beginning. Eric took a breath and answered, "My name is Eric…um…what's yours?" He had no idea what he was supposed to do, but then he WAS supposed to be the "new slave", so she should teach him right?

"You may call me Miss Sookie or Ma'am. You will respond anytime I address you and you are to ask permission before speaking. You will obey all my instructions. Is that clear?"

"Yes Ma'am".

"Very good, now turn around and walk slowly towards the kitchen. I'll follow behind so I can get a good look at you". Her eyes twinkled a little with that statement. Eric was tempted to snicker a little, but suppressed it. He'd been told many times over the years that he had a nice backside. Many hours on the stationary bike and the Stairmaster had helped him to keep it from sagging into Pillsbury Doughboy territory. If he was going to continue with these types of activities, he should probably start working on his gut as well. They made their way slowly down the hall and towards the kitchen. Sookie poked him a couple times in the butt with the paddle, "Keep moving", she ordered.

They trooped their way into the dining area next to the kitchen's entrance. It appeared Sookie had already taken some items out earlier when she got breakfast. The countertop had bags of produce and canisters on it. She pointed for the two "slaves" to stand next to each other.

"Alright, pay attention, I'm going to have you help prepare side dishes for dinner today. I'll do any cooking on the stove since I'm wearing an apron. I'll also heat up the ham since it's already cooked anyway. You'll be washing, peeling, chopping and mixing. You will both set the table appropriately as well". Both men looked at her attentively and nodded along with her little speech, so she continued, "Bill, you'll be prepping the green beans and compile a cold plate. Eric, you'll prep the turnip greens, corn fritters, and put the sweet potato casserole together. You'll follow my instructions to the letter. If you do well, there will be rewards. If you don't….punishments will be dispensed". She gazed at both men with a stern expression, like a strict school teacher.

When Eric was younger, he had a tendency to push his teachers just for sheer spite. The more humorless the teacher, the more he cut up in class. He just couldn't help it. Unfortunately, that younger Eric decided to step out of the moth balls and amuse himself.

"Ma'am?"

"You may speak".

"Why is Bill only doing two dishes and I'm doing three?" he asked. He could feel Bill staring at him incredulously.

"Because I wish it", Sookie answered, as if that explained everything.

'Okay MOM' Eric thought to himself, or so he thought. Bill inhaled sharply and Sookie's brows drew together in a frown. Suddenly, Eric realized he'd said it out loud.

Sookie walked over to one of the dining chairs and flipped it around so it was facing Eric. "Come here", she ordered. When her back was turned, Bill looked at Eric and silently mouthed I Told You So. Eric walked over immediately, keeping his hands folded protectively in front of him, just in case. "Bend over and put your hands flat on the chair seat", she said.

They hadn't even been playing five minutes and Eric was in the penalty box already. Unlike Bill the night before, Sookie wasn't going to let this slide one time. Since he knew he'd done something wrong, he figured he might as well get it over with. He took a breath and did as she had ordered.

"Arch your back some more and stick your butt out", she said. Eric did as she instructed. He felt embarrassed and vulnerable displaying himself like this. Being naked the previous night hadn't felt this way.

"Now Eric, I'm going to ask you a couple questions and I want honest answers. I like honesty. Why are you being punished?"

"I was being a smart ass", Eric replied, "Ma'am". He remembered to add the ma'am.

"And why were you being disrespectful to me?"

This caught Eric off guard. He wasn't expecting to answer questions about his feelings or motivations. "I don't know. It just slipped out", he answered.

There was a pregnant silence that settled on the room. Eric stayed bent over and stared at the wooden chair's seat. Sookie walked up beside him. He could see her red shoes next to his feet.

"I'm disappointed Eric", she said heavily, "I'm going to paddle you because you're a disrespectful slave and you're dishonest too".

Eric felt his face flush a little at being called dishonest. From her voice, Sookie sounded like she was actually getting ticked off and the game had barely started. He felt bad about that, maybe he could just apologize? "Ma'am, may I say something?"

"No", was the emphatic reply.

So much for apologizing.

"I don't want to hear excuses. You need to show me how much you want to serve me and be a good slave. I'm teaching you a lesson and you should be grateful to me. Aren't you grateful?"

"Yes ma'am". That seemed the safest thing to say.

"Ten strokes for mouthing off plus ten strokes for being dishonest. Count them off as I do them".

It piqued Eric that she was calling him dishonest, especially since she was adding a lot to the punishment because of it. He didn't feel he had lied. That didn't seem fair. Older Eric stepped back in and told Younger Eric to shut the fuck up before he got them in deeper.

SMACK!

"One", Eric said.

"Louder and enunciate".

SMACK!

"Two", Eric stated louder. The paddle stung , but it wasn't so bad. Of course they kept going and the impacts started to build up a little. When they got to nine, his butt was feeling a little toasty.

"How are you doing? What color?" Sookie asked. She reached over and ran her other hand over his butt cheeks in an exploratory manner. That felt nice actually. The skin was becoming sensitive and he leaned into her hand a little.

"Okay, green I guess", Eric replied. It was starting to hurt a bit, but he could handle it. She continued the paddling as he counted off. .

When they got to twenty, she told him he could stand up. Eric automatically started reaching around to rub his backside. She stopped him immediately.

"Put your hands on the back of your head. You are not to touch yourself without my permission". Okay, his butt was just going to have to burn a little. He wondered how red it was. "Follow me". He marched along after her as they made their way into the kitchen, her shoes clicking on the tile. Her full bottom swayed as she walked. He wondered if he'd get a chance to grab those cheeks at some point today. She opened a canister from a cabinet, grabbed a handful of what appeared to be rice and threw it on the floor in the corner next to the laundry room door. "Kneel in this corner. You are not to sit back. You must keep your nose touching the wall, but you are not to lean against it. Do you understand?"

Well, she said she liked honesty. "Not really Miss Sookie", Eric responded, trying to sound polite and not like a smart ass. He also wanted to put off kneeling on the floor as long as possible. His fifty plus years old knees already knew it was going to hurt.

But Sookie saw right through him. "Kneel right now", she ordered. Eric did as she bade with his hands still locked behind his head. As expected, the rice added a painful, grinding, pin pricking feeling to his aging knees. Pressing his nose to the wall as instructed, he tried to find a semi-comfortable position. "Stop squirming", she said, "It's not supposed to be fun. You need to adjust your attitude. You are my slave. Your job and desire should be to make me happy and please me. You'll stay in this position until I determine that this is clear to you".

"Yes, ma'am", Eric said as obediently as possible. He tried to imagine a position she could have put him in that was more uncomfortable, but he couldn't think of one. His knees were burning and pricking something awful. His lightly toasted butt was clenched, keeping him in the upright position as she had demanded. And to make it even more enjoyable, his penis was pressed against the cold wall. And of course, there was the boredom factor. For Eric, this was the worst element of Sookie's punishment. He had a sneaking feeling, she knew it too.

The clicking of her heels signaled that she was headed back into the dining room area where the other "slave" was waiting.

"Bill, you're going to get started. I've got a recipe cards here for your dishes. You will gather everything and I do mean EVERYTHING that you need from the kitchen to make them. Wash the green beans so you can snap them for me. If the green beans are satisfactory, I'll put them on the stove and you'll receive a reward before starting the cold plate. Is this clear?"

"Yes ma'am".

"Oh, and you'll be working at the dining table. Get started now".

"Yes ma'am", Bill's low voice couldn't have been more quiet and polite.

Eric listened as Sookie and her slave started their activities in the kitchen. He concentrated on the sound of the water running in the kitchen sink and the gas burners lighting up combined with Sookie's shoes clicking back and forth. He was trying to take his mind off his discomfort. The pain in his knees was so bad he wondered if he'd be able to stand upright when his punishment was over. He was too old for this kneeling crap. He reminded himself that he had agreed to the terms of the game and wimping out this early would be really pathetic. Plus, he wanted to see what kind of reward Bill was going to earn for doing the green beans. That way Eric would have some idea of any rewards he might earn for doing his dishes correctly. If the reward was really good, say some fun time with "Miss Sookie", then he would just have to suck it up.

Eric kneeled and stewed. He remembered his basketball coach in high school who had been a big believer in weeding out the weak early. The new players would be forced to do suicides up and down the court until they were practically ready to fall over. A number of them wouldn't come back the next day, which was the point. The coach said, "I don't want quitters on my team". Eric just kept repeating to himself "play thru the pain, play thru the pain".

It was hard to keep track of time with his face against the wall, but he listened to Bill and Sookie's movements. Sookie had something simmering on the stove already. Bill washed the beans and gathered all his ingredients and implements for his dishes. Since Bill was barefoot it was hard to tell where he was, but the thud of the items hitting the dining room table informed Eric that he was starting his work.

Finally, Sookie's hand softly touched his shoulder and she spoke to him, "Now that you've had time to think, I hope you're ready to start your work with a more industrious and positive attitude. Stand up, but stay facing the wall". Eric actually had to struggle to rise and grunted a bit. He managed to stand awkwardly, his knees not completely straightened yet. He bet money they would be bruised later.

Then a soft hand started cupping his right butt cheek. The pain in his knees got shoved aside in favor of what was happening behind him.

"You like that, don't you?" Sookie asked quietly, then she gripped his butt cheeks with both hands, digging her nails into him and pushed him against the wall. "Don't you my slave?".

"Yes ma'am", Eric answered immediately. Knee pain forgotten, he was quivering a little. This was more like it. Why couldn't they just skip the damn turnip greens and get to the fun stuff?

"Turn around", Sookie commanded. Eric turned, making sure to keep his hands locked behind his head. He wasn't sure how he'd managed since they were becoming numb from being up there so long. Sookie had her glasses on and peered up at him above the lenses. One warm finger started tapping the steel ring, then slowly worked its way down his member. Eric stared down, utterly fascinated and hopeful.

No such luck.

"Come", Sookie said with a small smile , "you need to get started on your dishes, we don't have all day".

Eric shuffled awkwardly towards the counter. Lying there were three large recipe cards with little flowers along the edges and Sookie's neat handwriting regarding the dishes he needed to make.

"Follow the instructions on the cards. I have the sweet potatoes already boiling on the stove. They'll be ready shortly and some ham hocks simmering for the turnip greens. They will take a little longer. Get started". And with that, Sookie turned around and started checking the items on the stovetop and the ham she had removed from the refridgerator.

As soon as he picked up the first card, Eric knew he was in trouble. He had forgotten his glasses and while Sookie didn't have the flowery type handwriting that some women did, he was still having trouble making out detail. He could read the ingredients, but the measurements were a problem. Sneaking a peek to make sure she wasn't watching him, he held the card out at arms length and squinted, hoping to make out it out. From previous experience, he had found out there could be a big difference between teaspoons and Tablespoons.

Chewing on his lower lip, he debated with himself for a minute. Glancing into the dining room, he saw that Bill was meticulously snapping the green beans with military precision. He had a feeling that forgetting his glasses was going to be a punishable offense and his knees were still whining from the one he'd just gone through. But if he did the recipes and screwed them up, he could end up with multiple punishments.

"Miss Sookie, may I ask a question?" Eric asked in the humblest voice he could manage.

Sookie turned around from arranging pineapple rings on her ham and nodded, "Yes, you may".

"May I please go to my room and retrieve my glasses?" He gave her his best puppy dog look, hoping to warm the cockles of her heart and avoid another punishment. Unfortunately, Bill was absolutely correct about his wife being tougher than him.

Sookie wiped her hands on a towel and removed her glasses. "Get on your hands and knees, NOW". Her expression could only be described as annoyed. Eric lowered himself immediately, wincing as his weight pushed against his sore knees. "You can crawl and get your glasses. And since you're wasting my time as well, I'm going to smack your backside until you're back here and ready to work".

Eric started crawling slowly out the kitchen. If it hadn't been for his knees, he could have accomplished this fairly quickly. He would just take it easy and go slow, but Sookie had other ideas. He had assumed she would be smacking him with the paddle again. You know what they say about assuming.

SNAP! SNAP!

Eric almost jumped a little. She was striking him with what felt like one of her wooden spoons. It had a sting to it. As he tried to speed up his crawl, he began to realize it hurt a lot worse than the paddle which had a wide, flexible surface. And she was hitting him on both cheeks, alternating back and forth as he went through the dining area (he couldn't bear to look at Bill) and down the hallway. Thank god the rest of the house was carpeted.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!

"Come on Eric! We have dinner to prepare, pick up the pace!" Sookie commanded, sounding more impatient by the second.

Eric gritted his teeth. Right at this moment, he wanted to tell her to stick her wooden spoon where the sun didn't shine, but even he knew that wouldn't be appropriate.

They made it to his room where he was relieved to see his glasses were right where he remembered, sitting on the dresser. Slipping the glass's cord around his neck, he started to turn to go back to the kitchen. Sookie had something else in mind.

"Stop, go up to the bed and kneel up against it like you're saying your prayers", she said.

The relief of leaning against a soft surface, not to mention taking some of the weight off his knees was a godsend. The "spoon whipping" had stopped for the moment. A soft hand pushed against his back, forcing his chest and face down against the comforter.

He wanted to relax against the soft bed, but his anxiety of what she might be getting ready to do kept him tensed up. The hand stayed still for a moment, then started to trail down his spine very slowly. When it got to the leather running across his back, it grasped the strapping and pulled upwards. His breathing hitched a little as the harness straps pulled up against his pelvic bone and between his legs.

A high heeled shoe pushed his knees apart and his tormentor stepped in between them. She kept pulling on the straps, which created pressure between his butt cheeks. He wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he took slow breaths as he rode it out. Another hand grabbed one of his back cheeks and squeezed a little as he grunted and pushed his member into the comforter. As her hand ran up and down his sore cheeks, he flexed them a little, just to see if he could.

"What color are you at now?" she asked.

Eric thought about that, his butt was sore and his knees were killing him, but it wasn't so bad was it?

"Eric, don't think about it, just answer me", she ordered.

"Yellow", he said, feeling like a giant pussy. His Viking ancestors were probably rolling in their graves from the embarrassment.

"Stay like this for a couple minutes, so you can catch your breath", she said gently.

He was able to relax now that he knew no other punishment was coming in the next few minutes. Relaxing her grip on his harness, she continued stroking down his spine and buttocks. She would squeeze the sore cheeks gently, as he sighed and flexed his pelvis into the fluffy comforter. Amazingly, the steel ring started feeling a little tight again as he felt a tentative erection develop.

Eric shut his eyes as he rested his head on the bed for these few precious minutes. The intimacy of the moment flowered against the pain in his knees and his backside. There was a tiny flicker of guilt stemming from Bill's non presence in the room, but Sookie was in charge, so Eric would obey.

All too soon, Sookie stepped back, "Alright, you've had your break. Let's continue. At this rate you're never going to get your dishes done".

So, they made their way back to the kitchen the same way they came out of it. Eric crawling (this time with his glasses hanging around his neck) and Sookie walking behind, swinging the spoon against his butt cheeks until he made it back to his work station. Sookie put the spoon in the sink and went back to her ham.

Eric pulled himself up, and picked up his recipe cards. His legs were shaking a little and his knees weren't quite straight yet, but he'd manage. When Sookie had her back turned, he reached around and rubbed his butt a little. His cheeks probably looked majorly red now. Taking a breath, he set his glasses on his nose and started reading his cards.

The corn fritters looked the easiest. He would start with those first. It was mostly just dumping ingredients into a bowl, giving it a rough mix and then dropping spoonfuls into hot oil which he wouldn't have to do. Fumbling around a bit in the unfamiliar kitchen, he started working on it. And just to display he was capable of multitasking, he dumped the turnip greens into the sink and filled it with water.

While he was mixing ingredients, Bill walked carefully back into the kitchen. He set the bowl of green beans on the counter, kneeled down on the floor, then grasped the bowl again.

"Miss Sookie, I've finished the green beans for you", he said, as he held the bowl up for her inspection. Sookie put her glasses back on and inspected the green beans carefully. Eric would loved to have known what criteria she was using to judge how someone snaps a bean.

"Where are the tips?" she asked, looking down at Bill over her glasses. Bill held up a towel with the snapped off pieces. He gazed up at her hopefully. "These appear acceptable", Sookie said as she channeled her inner Martha Stewart. "Go back into the living room . I'll be there momentarily". Bill hauled himself back up off the kitchen floor and slowly walked back into the living area.

Sookie turned around to double check the items on the stove. Satisfied with their progress, Sookie clicked her way back into the living room, giving Eric's buttcheeks a friendly pat on the way out.

Bill was sitting on one of the dining room chairs, with his legs together and hands neatly folded on his lap as he waited. Eric found the dichotomy of Bill's leather slave outfit an amusing contrast to his formal posture as he waited for his wife. Sookie strode into the living room. Bill's dark eyes followed her every move as he focused on her entrance.

"Spread your legs", Sookie ordered, as she adopted a superhero stance in front of Bill. Her shiny red pumps planted themselves solidly and her fists rested on her hips.

"Yes, Ms Sookie".

Bill immediately spread his knees, keeping his hands resting lightly on them. He gazed up at his wife with anticipation, completely focused on her face.

Eric now understood what Bill had been striving for with Sookie the previous night. Her wavering attention and lack of focus had annoyed him. Bill was having no such issues. His body was at polite attention, but he appeared relaxed with no tension of any kind. But then he was anticipating a reward, so that had to help.

Bending over, Sookie grasped Bill between the legs. Eric leaned out as far as he could to see, since she was bent over and had her legs spread apart. Bill's breathing got deeper as a tentative smile drifted across his lips. Sookie patted his head with her other hand and giggled.

"You didn't think I was going to take this off so soon, did you? What do you think? You have control over this?" And she shook the cage a little, to the point Eric could hear the lock rattle against the steel loops surrounding Bill's penis.

Eric sincerely hoped Sookie knew where that lock's key was stashed.

"Answer me Bill, who owns this right here?" as she shook it again.

"You do Ms Sookie"

"It belongs to me, doesn't it?"

"Yes ma'am, it does". Bill gazed into his wife's eyes with no irony or smirking of any kind.

"And who controls your orgasms for today?"

"You do Ms Sookie". Bill's chocolate brown eyes didn't waver as he pronounced Sookie's ownership of his manhood.

Eric wasn't so sure he could have done the same thing and kept a straight face. Bill's answers and manner had an effortless quality to it, like it was the most natural thing in the world to submit to his wife in this way. Eric pondered whether he was cut out for this side of things. He pondered a little too long, because Sookie, like most mothers, had eyes in the back of her head.

"I don't hear working", she said accusingly, as she turned around and stared at Eric over her glasses. He immediately started jabbing at the corn fritter mixture with his spoon. The last thing he needed was yet another punishment for not stirring his corn fritters. He made sure to bang the bowl around a little, so Sookie would hear it and not notice that he was really trying to watch what she and Bill were doing.

"Lock your hands behind the chair", she ordered, as she ran her hands through Bill's brown salt/pepper hair. Bill's left shoulder had started its telltale shake, but he quickly obeyed. Her hands ran down her husband's face, trickled over his broad shoulders, then stopped at his chest. After playfully teasing his chest hair for a minute, she pinched his nipples between her index and middle finger. Bill's head was tilted down as he avidly watched.

He wasn't the only one. Eric kept robotically jabbing at the corn fritter mixture as he enjoyed the show.

When she gave a vicious yank, so hard that his nipples were stretched away from his chest, Bill shut his eyes and gasped. "How about I warm your skinny butt up a little, my slave?" She asked cheerfully. "Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Most definitely Ms Sookie", Bill replied with a smile. His response made her giggle a little, as she backed away, quickly walked to the sofa and sat down. She crossed her legs with some femme fatale flair and crooked her finger at Bill. "Crawl over to me and we'll have a little fun".

Bill immediately got on his hands and knees and crawled over to his wife. Once he got there, he bent over and kissed the tops of her feet, then started working his way up. Once he got to her knees, she uncrossed her legs and patted them, signaling for him to lie across them. He stretched himself out face down while lying across her lap. She had separated her legs a little, probably because of the hardware Bill was wearing.

One hand traced along Bill's back, then ran along his buttocks and upper thighs. Bill's eyes were at half mast, with his face half buried into the leather sofa. Sookie gave a sharp squeeze then raised her hand.

Slap! Slap!

Bill let out a small "Ah!" and arched his buttocks up a little. Sookie dug her fingernails into the back of his leg, then dragged them up and slapped him again. She'd hit one, then the other cheek in quick succession. Bill looked like someone receiving the best massage ever.

Eric definitely wanted to try this. He hoped his butt wasn't so sore from the spoon whipping that he wouldn't enjoy it. The corn fritters were done except for the actual frying which was Sookie's job, per her instructions. He checked on the turnip greens in the sink as he listened to the repeated slapping sounds from the living room and Bill's soft moans. The recipe card had said to rinse, repeat until clean for the turnip greens. He sloshed them around a bit, then drained the sink and filled it again. That should be enough he figured.

The slapping had stopped and Sookie's voice rose, "Alright Bill, you've received your reward, now go finish your other dish. Eric, have you finished your first dish?" Eric grabbed the bowl and hustled out into the living room. Bill was awkwardly standing back up with Sookie's help. He appeared to be wincing and when Eric saw what was going on with steel cage, he understood why. As Bill shuffled back across to the dining table, Eric went and kneeled down in front of Sookie with his bowl. Sookie had her legs crossed again, with her arms stretched out along the sofa's back.

Holding the bowl out, Eric said, "Here you go ma'am, the corn fritter mixture is completed".

Sookie accepted the bowl, gave it a stir or two, then dipped her finger into the mixture. Eric held his breath and hoped he hadn't forgotten anything. Red lips smacked together as she tasted the mixture. She gave him a dazzling smile, "Very good Eric, the mixture appears to be perfect. You've earned a reward".

Banged up knees were forgotten, as Eric waited to hear what activities they were going to enjoy.

Sookie got a sly look while she waved one patent red clad foot in front of him. "You like these shoes, yes?"

Eric nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Ms Sookie".

"Then how about you get a closer look at them and we take it from there. You may even remove them if you like". Her stormy blue eyes focused like a laser beam on Eric.

Eric shuffled himself a little closer, and grasped one ankle with his left hand. He placed his right hand on her knee and dragged it down until he reached the shiny red shoe encasing her foot. Sookie sat silently, her lips staying curved upwards as he firmly grabbed her foot and pulled it towards him.

As he slid his finger under the buckle, he gave her a wink.

TBC

_A/N Pleasure , punishment and food preparation. If someone came out with a "reality" show like this, the ratings would go thru the roof wouldn't they? LOL! _

_I'm going to do one more chapter to finish up Xmas day , then I'll set this story aside for a while so I can refocus on getting my Nesting Instincts writing groove back, plus I have a couple one shots/shorts I'd like to play with, but I'll be coming back to this story so make sure you put it on alerts! Our middle aged kinksters all have frequent flyer miles and they'll be using them. _


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